Diablo : Lord of Confusion, RanmaDiablo2 XOver
by Istoria
Summary: *COMPLETE 10/11 * Darkness descends on the world, demons roam the land and Akane can cast fireballs like you wouldn't believe. This could be Ranma's worse nightmare but it turns out to be his greatest adventure in the Alterverse adventure.
1. Prelude to Chaos : Tristram

Prelude  
  
The hulking man tried not to curse too much as the rain began to fall. Pulling up the hood of his cloak, he attempted to avoid the water. Next to him, a younger man was doing the same. After a few second however, the boy next to him shrunk a few inches while he grew several times in size.  
  
"Power beyond our wildest belief," came a surprisingly high voice. "It won't hurt a bit to read it." The smaller form stopped moving and whipped off the hood of his cloak, revealing a shock of red hair and a feminine face.  
  
"Won't hurt!" she screamed. "Ha!" The bigger man looked down at the girl with a shrug. "It'll show you hurt you… you…"  
  
Unable to think of a proper insult, the girl unsheathed a sword from her side and strode towards her companion. He quickly held up his hands, trying to ward her off. At the same time, his hood fell back. Where there had once been a man, there was a black and white bear instead.  
  
With a yell, the girl jumped towards the bear, which quickly spun out of the way, knocking her on the head and unconscious. Without another word, he picked up the collapsed body and headed towards the horizon, looking for the first sign of the town.  
  
* * *  
  
Tendo Soun stood out on the porch of his small house, watching the rain fall slowly. Inside, he could hear his eldest daughter, Kasumi, cleaning the house. With a sigh, he held the piece of paper in his hand up to his face, trying to think of the best way to break the news to his girls.  
  
"Is something the matter, father?" Kasumi asked, suddenly appeared behind his shoulder.  
  
"Not at all, Kasumi," Soun said. "Have you seen your sisters?"  
  
"Akane should be back soon and Nabiki is… well, I don't know where she is right now."  
  
"Probably at the market trying to sell more potions for three times their worth," he said with a smile. "I'll go get her."  
  
Leaving Kasumi to tend the house, Tendo Soun quickly moved through the streets of Trsitram. He knew most of the people he passed but barely acknowledged their greetings. He concentrated on the crowd, looking for Nabiki.  
  
"Please sir," came a tiny voice. Looking down, Soun saw a small lump of cloaks pulling at his leg. "I'm very ill and I need to sell these potions to…"  
  
"Nabiki??" Soun said, grabbing the begger by the scruff of the neck.  
  
"Oh crap… ah, I mean, hi daddy!" The cloaks fell away and Nabiki looked up at her father with innocent eyes. "I was just ummm…"  
  
"Enough!" Soun said. "Oh, Nabiki, if your mother could see you know, scrounging like a beggar in the street," he continued, tears starting to form in his eyes.  
  
"Like we aren't beggars already," she said under her breath. Soun shot her a disapproving look to let her know that he had heard her but wasn't going to dignify it with a response.  
  
"We're going home," Soun said, dragging his middle daughter away from the growing crowd. All they needed was another brawl. Gods knew that Akane was trouble enough.  
  
As if to answer him, the sky suddenly filled with the aura of a huge fireball. Looking up, Soun tried not to swear too much as he hurriedly made his way home, with Nabiki in tow. Reaching his house, he knew his fears were founded, as the tree in their front yard was on fire.  
  
"Hi Daddy!" Looking up, Soun say his youngest daughter, Akane standing in the yard. She still wore the uniform from her school, a traditional sorceress' garb. It was a bit too revealing for Soun's tastes, the entire midsection having been removed and the skirt no more than two piece of fabric attached to a belt. But Akane had always wanted to be a sorceress like her mother and Soun could never deny her anything.  
  
"Akane! What's going on??"  
  
"Ah," Akane started looking sheepishly around. "Nothing much." Behind her a burning branch broke and fell to the ground.  
  
"There goes the neighborhood," Nabiki grumbled, "again."  
  
"It's okay, I can put it out!!" Akane called.  
  
"Akane, no!" Soun called out. But it was too late. Akane's staff turned and the air around him got suddenly much colder. A second later he was encased by ice.  
  
"Nice aim, sis!" Nabiki called out.  
  
"Oh my," Kasumi said, looking outside at the scene. "Should I call the fire brigade?"  
  
"No!" Akane yelled. "I can get this right! I know I can!" With that she started to cast the spell again. Nabiki quickly dove underneath a nearby bush while Kasumi discreetly stepped inside and closed the door.  
  
A blue aura surrounded her and for a moment, she felt like she was floating off of the ground. Quickly she cast the spell forward towards the tree. Unfortunately, her aim was off again and the ice bolt hit the road instead, creating an ice path in its wake.  
  
"Whoops," she said softly.  
  
At that moment, two figures appeared on the path, unaware of what was occurring only a few feet from them.  
  
"I don't care what you told him," the younger man said. "I ain't getting engaged to some girl I don't know. I ain't getting engaged at all! I'm going back to the Amazons and asking them to fix this damn…"  
  
"Ah, Ranma," the older man started.  
  
"No way, old man," Ranma said holding up his hands. "This ain't up for discussion, I'm not marrryi…"  
  
With that, the young man stepped onto the ice path, quickly lost his footing and went sliding down the road, careening towards a flaming tree, a man in ice and a confused looking sorceress. Genma watched as his son quickly slid away from him and shrugged before transferring to the grass and moving towards the house.  
  
Ranma continued sliding down the icy path, and much to his dismay, straight towards the sorceress. Akane was about to cast the ice spell for the third time before she saw something hurtling towards her. She barely had time to brace herself before Ranma hit her, swiftly taking out her legs and sending her to the ground.  
  
A few seconds later, the tree still burning, Genma made his way to the scene. With a sigh, he cast a small firewall, melting the ice that encased his friend Soun. "Soun, how are you old friend?" Genma asked, stretching out a hand.  
  
"Fine," Soun said, still a bit disoriented. "I, uh, I was in the middle of…"  
  
"Oh, wow, I'm sorry," Ranma was saying, as he carefully lifted himself of the person he collided with. "Man, what kind of idiot casts an ice spell on a town road."  
  
He felt the form underneath him shudder. For a moment, he thought she was afraid but her eyes suddenly locked with his and he saw her anger through them. Before he could say another word, she lifted her staff and connected with his side.  
  
"BAKA!" she cried sending him up into the air.  
  
Genma shook his head, that boy of his could never stay out of trouble. Carefully he conjured out a hurricane, the dousing rains putting out the fire while the winds caught Ranma and brought him, or she at this point, safely to the ground.  
  
"Why the hell didya do that for?" Ranma-chan demanded as she hit the ground. But no one's attention was focused on what she was saying. Instead, the entire Tendo family stood open mouthed at the young lady who replaced the male Paladin that had arrived only moments before.  
  
"I didn't know that Paladins could shape-shift," Nabiki said. She walked up with interest and poked her finger at the other girl's breast. "Well, it's not an illusion."  
  
"Illusions are an Assassin skill," Akane said walking up to Nabiki and Ranma-chan.  
  
"Ah, do you mind not doing that?" Ranma-chan asked, glaring at Nabiki.  
  
"Genma, dear friend, exactly what is going on?" Soun asked. "Is it a boy or a girl?"  
  
"Well, it's a bit of a story…"  
  
* * *  
  
Twelve weeks ago…  
  
"Come on boy, keep up, we're almost there."  
  
"What the heck is so important up there anyway?"  
  
"A scroll with a legendary technique that will give us a power of the Gods!"  
  
"Right about now I'd settle for the power to conjure up a sandwich."  
  
"Quiet boy."  
  
"Where did you read about this scroll anyway?"  
  
"There was a man in the last town that gave me a book that told a scroll that would grant one wish to the man who held it."  
  
"Wait a minute… this isn't like that book that told you about Nek… nek… neko…"  
  
"Are you getting scared again boy? Am I going to have to teach you a lesson?"  
  
"I'd like to see you try."  
  
"Bring it… wait a minute, I think we're here."  
  
"This… This is it?? You mean we climb all this way for this??"  
  
"Quiet boy, I'm looking for…"  
  
"Five days of walking so we can get to this damned mountain so we can spend another five days climbing the thing and this is all we have to show for it is a rotting tree?"  
  
"You'd be surprised how many treasures have been hidden in rotting trees. Ha!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I've got it!"  
  
"Let me see, let me see!!"  
  
"Stop pushing boy and let me read it first!"  
  
"Right like I trust you to read anything after that… Neko… neko…"  
  
"Boy sometimes I swear you would have been better off it you had been born a girl."  
  
"Ha, you wish!"  
  
"Yes, I do… ah… why is the scroll glowing…"  
  
WISH GRANTED  
  
…Silence…  
  
"What? What happened?"  
  
"Ah…"  
  
"Don't just stand there, pop? What the heck happened?"  
  
"Ah…"  
  
"Listen… wait a minute what happened to my voice?"  
  
* * *  
  
"So you mean to say," Soun said with his head in his hand, "that you wished you're son had been born a girl."  
  
"It was a mistake," Genma said.  
  
"So how did you end up as a black and white bear?" Nabiki asked.  
  
"Well…"  
  
* * *  
  
"AH! I'm a girl!!! WHAT DID YOU DO?!?!"  
  
"Quiet boy, I'll fix this. Scroll, I wish my son was a man again."  
  
…  
  
"Nothing happened."  
  
"You idiot! You only get one wish!!"  
  
"Boy, if you don't stop shouting…"  
  
"Why should I? You turned me into a girl!! Give me that scroll!"  
  
"Be careful boy, this is a very delicate process. You only have one wish left so you have to use it the right way."  
  
"Don't you worry, I will. I'll just fix it so I'm back to normal."  
  
"Are you insane boy!? This is our one chance to get anything we've ever desired. You are not wasting it on something as trivial as that."  
  
"Trivial, this is my manhood we're talking about! It ain't trivial!"  
  
"There are worst things then being a girl… you could have been a rat or a pig or a…"  
  
"Worse things… you try being a girl!"  
  
"Ha, at least I'm secure enough in my manhood that becoming a female wouldn't bother me."  
  
"Oh yeah, how about if you were a…"  
  
* * *  
  
"Big fluffy panda," Genma finished.  
  
"You didn't!" Kasumi cried.  
  
Ranma-chan looked sheepishly at the older girl. "Hey, it was the first thing I could thing I could think of!"  
  
"A big fluffy panda," Genma repeated. There was a pause. "Oh that shame of it all! Not only is my son a girl but he is dreaming of big fluffy pandas!"  
  
"Didn't you try to get someone else to help you?" Akane asked. "Get someone else to wish for you to return to normal?"  
  
Genma and Ranma-chan looked at each other and sighed.  
  
* * *  
  
Ten weeks ago…  
  
"We made it!! We finally made it again."  
  
"Soooo… where is this scroll you were talking about?"  
  
"It's right up here mister!"  
  
"And you want me to wish you were a boy?"  
  
"Uh huh, and like I said in town, I'll pay you ten thousand gold pieces to do it."  
  
"This is it?"  
  
"Yeah, that's it."  
  
"And all I have to do is say what I wish for?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, go ahead."  
  
"Okay, I wish… I wish… for twenty thousand gold pieces!!"  
  
* * *  
  
"Nice," Nabiki said. "I would have probably asked for two hundred thousand…"  
  
"You would," Akane said. "So that didn't work… Did you try anyone else?"  
  
* * *  
  
Eight weeks ago…  
  
"Up here?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, thanks mister, you're doing me a big favor!!"  
  
"No problem, it's a barbarian's duty to protect the weak and…"  
  
"Ah, mister, it's this way…"  
  
"Oh yeah. Like I said, it's a barbarians' duty to…"  
  
"Hey! Over here! To the left… no not that left! Watch out for that cliff!!!"  
  
"Whoops, that was close. So this is the scroll?"  
  
"Yeah, that's it!"  
  
"Wow, so you can really wish for anything you want?"  
  
"Yes, but please mister… I really need you to wish my father and me back to normal otherwise we might… sniff…"  
  
"Don't worry, little girl, I'll help you out. I just think I might be able to help a lot of people out at the same time."  
  
"Oh for the… Listen here, I brought you up here to make one wish, one stupid wish."  
  
"Look, I'm just saying that maybe we could help more people…"  
  
"Yeah, so more people could respect you!"  
  
"That's not what this is about."  
  
"It is too! You just used me to get up here so you could become famous!"  
  
"I just want to help people…"  
  
"You're in it for yourself, just like everyone else! You ingrate!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"You idiot!"  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"You pig!!!"  
  
"I am not a pig!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Are not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Are not!"  
  
"…Are not!"  
  
"Are too! I am, I am a pig… whoa, why is this glowing???"  
  
* * *  
  
"No," Ranma-chan said. "I mean, we sort of learned our lesson the first time around."  
  
"What about the scroll?" Kasumi asked. "You could have always brought it here and one of us would have been happy to grant you that wish."  
  
"Speak for yourself," Nabiki said under her breathe. Kasumi glared at her.  
  
"Actually, we did try to go back up there one more time," Genma started, "but when we reached there…"  
  
* * *  
  
Six weeks ago…  
  
"Quack, quack, quack, quack…"  
  
"Meowrr…. Hisssss…"  
  
"AH! Cat!!!!"  
  
"Growl… growl…"  
  
* * *  
  
"Wait, wait, wait," Akane said holding up her arms. " There was a cat and a goose up at the top of the mountain with the scroll."  
  
"No," Genma said with a long sigh. "There was a cat, a goose and shreds of what used to be the scroll. We think the cat took it apart."  
  
"Oh my," Kasumi said.  
  
"So there's no hope of you two turning back to normal," Soun said.  
  
"Well, except that they seem to be human to me," Nabiki said. "Well, maybe not the right sex," she continued, poking Ranma-chan's breast.  
  
"Would you stop doing that," Ranma-chan said under her breath.  
  
"So what happened next?" Akane asked, very intrigued by the whole story.  
  
"Well, we traveled for several weeks," Genma continued. "We spoke to several wizards and witches in different towns but no one knew how to cure us. We went on several quests to seek out treasures that would grant us wishes. We rescued damsels in distress, fought the darkest demons, reached the pits of hell itself…"  
  
"All in six weeks," Nabiki said. "My, my you must be exhausted from your trip."  
  
Ranma-chan sighed. "What pop means to say is that we bribed a local gypsy seer to tell us how to change back to normal. She gave us this sacred water that let us remain in our normal forms half of the time."  
  
"But how does it work," Akane asked. "Your changing back and forth and all."  
  
"Water," Genma said. "Observe." He picked up a glass of boiling hot tea and dumped it over Ranma-chan's head. She quickly reverted back to boy form. "Hot water, changes us back…"  
  
"It doesn't have to be that HOT!" a very male Ranma said. Genma grabbed a mug of water and threw it on him in response. Ranma quickly shrank back to female form.  
  
"Cold water turns us to our cursed forms," Genma said. "It's a sad story but one that will hopefully have a happy ending. We've learned that the Sisterhood of Light may have a way for us to change back. But the trip is long and arduous and because of our curse we could very easily become easy targets for monsters."  
  
"Speak for yourself old man," Ranma-chan said. "I can still handle them in this form."  
  
"You can barely lift your sword in that form," Genma returned. "And even though I have learned the art of shifting into a grizzly bear… I can not cast spells in the panda form."  
  
"So how do you intend to travel that far away?" Akane asked.  
  
Genma cleared his voice, Soun looked away, but Ranma-chan reached over for a cup of tea and dumped it on her head. "They want me to get engaged to one of you," he said.  
  
"What?!?" Akane cried.  
  
"Oh dear," Kasumi said softly. Nabiki just laughed.  
  
"Well, Genma and I grew up together," Soun started, "and we always wished that someday our families would be joined so that our fighting styles would become one."  
  
"I didn't knew you were a fighter, daddy," Nabiki said. "You just seem to loaf around the house all day."  
  
"Where do you think the money to build this house came from?" Soun asked. Nabiki huffed but he ignored her. "I was quite an adventurer in my day. But those days are done and I've done my best to teach you girls all I knew.  
  
"Kasumi is a very strong sorceress but she lacked the fighting drive to become a true master," Soun continued. Kasumi merely smiled. "We tried with Nabiki but… she was more interested in making money by selling her supplies then from actually learning any magic."  
  
"Once you learn you can't turn things into gold, what's the point?" Nabiki asked.  
  
"But Akane has shown real promise and a real fighting spirit."  
  
"So it's settled," Genma said.  
  
"What's settled?" Akane asked quickly.  
  
"Akane will come with us to find a cure and when we return to Tristram, she and Ranma will be married."  
  
"WHAT?" Akane cried. "There's no way I'm getting married to him! I hardly know him!"  
  
"That's what I've been saying," Ranma replied. "Besides, she wouldn't be any help. Did you see what she did to that tree and the road? We'd be baked and frozen before we even left town!"  
  
"Oh dear," was all Kasumi could said before a fireball engulfed Ranma and threw him out of the house.  
  
* * *  
  
Later that night when the rest of the house was asleep, Akane sat in her bed looking out of her window at the starry night over Tristram. She tried to ignore the pack that lay next to her bed and the journey that it symbolized. Tristram was the only home she had ever known and she had never traveled far from its safety. Boarded up in these walls were years of memories of friends, family and most importantly her mother.  
  
She could barely remember her face now. There were fleeting memories of a cherry pale face surrounded by short black hair. But there were other things she remembered about her. The singsong voice that cast spells to keep the family safe and warm. The way the smell of herbs would fill the house in the spring. The warmth of her hand as she pressed it against little Akane's head and told her it would be all right.  
  
Akane needed that most of all right now. She was so terrified of leaving home. Sure it was every sorceress dreamed off, a chance to see the world with a pack of season adventurers but Akane could bring herself to get excited about the trip. She was too afraid that what Ranma had said was true, that she wouldn't be any help to them. That she would die on some cold and dark road miles away from her home and family.  
  
There was a knock on the door and Akane jumped. Carefully, she uncurled herself from bed and padded over to the door, opening it a crack to see who it was.  
  
"Kasumi?" she said, recognizing her older sister.  
  
"I'm sorry to wake you up Akane," she said softly, "but Nabiki and I wanted to talk to you before you left."  
  
Akane nodded and grabbed a knitted jacket before following her sister. In the common area of the house, Nabiki sat in front a large box with a grim look on her face.  
  
"What is it?" Akane asked.  
  
"Sit down," Nabiki said, ushering to an empty chair.  
  
"This is mother's box," Kasumi said. "It was meant for me but I didn't want them."  
  
"And I wanted to sell them," Nabiki said, "but Kasumi wouldn't let me."  
  
"So since you will be the one to carry on mother's tradition," Kasumi continued opening the box. "These are yours."  
  
Akane gasped. Inside was a plate of armor, a helm and a small wand. Each was engraved with arcane lettering except for a small signature on each that read Kimiko. Akane picked up the wand, a gnarled stick with a crystal globe on the top.  
  
"I know you're comfortable with your staff," Kasumi said, "but more powerful sorceress use a wand. This one will help with your fire and ice spells."  
  
"But not your aim," Nabiki threw in.  
  
"Nabiki," Kasumi scolded. The other girl shrunk down.  
  
"Thank you, I mean I don't know what to say," Akane said.  
  
"Yeah well," Nabiki started, "they weren't exactly ours."  
  
"No, they weren't," Kasumi agreed. "But this is. Give it to her, Nabiki." Nabiki shifted uncomfortably. "Nabiki," Kasumi said sharply.  
  
"Here," Nabiki said quickly, shoving her hands out. "Just take it."  
  
Akane reached out and carefully took the pouch from Nabiki. She opened it up and looked inside. "There has to be over a hundred gold piece in here!" she cried.  
  
"Not enough to buy anything spectacular," Kasumi said. "But it's a start. Oh Akane… I'm so proud of you. You're so brave for leaving home."  
  
"I am?" Akane asked.  
  
"Sure you are sis," Nabiki said. "I mean, why do you think neither Kasumi or I became full blown sorceresses? We couldn't do what you're about to do."  
  
"You're going to have such a wonderful time. Just be careful of the monsters," Kasumi said.  
  
"Do you mean the normal baddies or the two guys that she's stuck with?" Nabiki asked. She and Akane started to laugh.  
  
"Nabiki," Kasumi scolded. Or at least tried to. Soon, the three sisters were engulfed in laughter. But too soon, Kasumi stood up and motioned for them to get moving.  
  
"Let's go to bed. Akane needs to get up early in the morning," she said closing up the box and handing it to Akane. She sank under the weight but hugged the box tightly as she made her way back to her room.  
  
* * *  
  
The sun had not even broken the night's sky when Akane was awoken by a knocking at her door. So little time had passed, that she thought Kasumi had returned to tell her something else. She walked over to the door and opened it, only to find Ranma there instead.  
  
"Ah," he said somewhat nervous. "Pop said we need to go."  
  
"Now?" Akane asked. "But this is much earlier than we told everyone we were going."  
  
"I don't make the messages, I just deliver them," he said with a shrug. Akane sighed and turned back to her stuff.  
  
"I have to change," she said. "Give me a minute."  
  
"Okay, we'll be waiting outside," Ranma replied "Do you… do you need me to help you carry anything?"  
  
Akane reddened. "You don't think I could do it myself?"  
  
"That's not what I said," he replied. "Whatever, carry it yourself." With that, he turned and left.  
  
Trying not to think too much about her rude awakening, Akane changed into her sorceress uniform and then quietly put on her armor. It fit perfectly but Akane was sure her mother had enchanted it to do just that. She briefly looked over at her long staff before grabbing the shorter wand and throwing on her pack.  
  
Outside it was pitch black but she could make out the forms of Ranma and Genma. As she approached, she could see their breath. Ranma looked over at her and quickly blushed.  
  
"What?" she demanded.  
  
"Nuthing… just, aren't you cold wearing just that?" Akane looked down with surprise. She was wearing more than what she usually wore, now that the armor covered most of her chest.  
  
"Warmth boy," Genma replied. "All sorceresses learn it. You ready?"  
  
Akane looked at him, tempted to ask him whether she could wake everyone up to say good-bye. But one look at his stern face and she realized that this had been his plan all along. With a short shake of her head, she quickly fell into step behind them, leaving Tristram and her family behind her. 


	2. Act 1, Quest 1 : The Den Of Evil

Author's note:  
  
WOW! What a response. Thank you everyone and you know, I never thought of making Ranma's girl side another class but now.  
  
I actually have finished the game so I do know where all of this headed. even Tristram. My boyfriend and I spent the better part of the autumn running around Battlenet with our Ranma named characters that actually is where this story idea came from..  
  
Oh and for the non-Diablo fans. Fallen are tiny demons who can be raised from the dead by a Fallen Shaman. Rule number 1 when playing D2. always kill the Shaman first.  
  
* * *  
  
Act 1 : Quest 1  
  
The Den of Evil  
  
Akane Tendo's feet were more worn out then she ever remembered. The constant march of the past few days was finally taking their toll on her. But she couldn't bring herself to ask the two men in front of her to slow down. She already felt like enough of a burden to them as it was.  
  
The two weeks following the leave from Tristram had been fairly uneventful. The walk to the Rouge's territory had taken them through well traveled and therefore was relatively safe. In fact, the only time Akane had ever gotten to use her spells is to start the evening fire and that had been less than successful. She had burned most of the food Kasumi had given them for their trip after which they refused to let her near anything they caught.  
  
Ranma and his father seemed rather uncomfortable having her around and they kept asking her whether she needed help with her pack, as if she were too weak to carry it! It annoyed her that she hadn't had the ability to show them that she could fend for herself. All she needed was a few monsters to prove her worth.  
  
But they never came. So most of the time was spent with Genma rattling off stories of the Skeleton King and the Sin War while Ranma tried not to look too bored and Akane tried to keep pace with them. It was only after they saw the outskirts of the Rouge territory that things got very interesting.  
  
There was something in the air that made them realize something was wrong. A burning smell that could only indicate a recent battle. As they continued towards the main city of the Rouges, they found the ground littered with bodies. Some were human but others appeared to be hideously deformed. For the first time, Akane was actually afraid and she clutched tightly to the wand, a spell on the tip of her lips.  
  
Ranma drew out his Paladin's sword and grasped tightly on the shield. He shot a look over to his father who looked deep in meditation. He was probably preparing to shape-shift at a moment's notice. Ranma stole a glance back at Akane and found her gazing back at him with grim determination and a look that seemed to say "back off I can take care of myself."  
  
He turned away angry. What kind of girl was this fiancée of his? It's not like he asked her to come along. He had been against this the whole time. And she was so pig-headed and uncute and a tomboy and.  
  
Ranma froze, his sword arm drew back quickly. There was movement in the air and it seemed that Genma was thinking the same thing. Akane made a small sound but a look from both men told her to keep quiet.  
  
Then they heard. A terrible guttural scream and the ground shook beneath them. Ranma fell to the floor but managed to keep a hand on his weapon. He shot a look over to Akane and saw a shadow rapidly falling over her face. Without a moment's hesitation he grabbed her and sprang forward, narrowly avoiding the huge battle axe as it crashed to the ground.  
  
"You!" the enemy screamed. "This is all your fault!" He pointed the axe towards Akane. "Because of you I have seen he. wait a minute. Why isn't your hair red? Did you think that you could dye it to avoid me?"  
  
"What are you talking about?" Akane screamed from her position on the ground. A position she suddenly realized included two male arms looked around her waist and one hand in a very compromising position on a very delicate part of her chest.  
  
The barbarian forgotten, Akane's anger flared towards Ranma. "Hentai!" she screamed, grabbing her staff and knocking him squarely on the face and into the air.  
  
The barbarian watched the exchange with interest and saw that the red-hot rage of the fallen sorceress was now directed at him. "Now," Akane said, her breath coming very quickly. "What were you saying?"  
  
The barbarian's battle face fell and a huge goofy grin broke out instead. "Ha ha, my mistake there's no way you were the same girl. I mean she was dainty and ladylike and didn't hit." He paused, realizing that he had just made a huge mistake.  
  
But by then it was too late and the barbarian was sent off into the clouds following the Paladin.  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma-chan cursed as she pulled herself out of the pond. Leave to Akane to find the only pound in the whole freaking forest. She stood up and wrung out her Paladin clothes, which were now much too large for her.  
  
"THERE YOU ARE!!"  
  
Ranma-chan turned and she was met with a splash of water that knocked her to the ground. She stood up, sputtering and cursing and suddenly felt a sharp pain on her leg. Looking down, she found a little black piglet clamped tightly on, apparently trying to rip her to shreds.  
  
With a curious look, she picked the pig up and gave him a good look. "What's the problem?" she demanded.  
  
The pig squealed and tried to wrench free but Ranma-chan had a tight grip on him. With a sigh, Ranma-chan stood up and walked towards the pool of water to retrieve her sword. She was quite surprised to find that in addition to the sword there was a huge battle-axe and what appeared to be barbarian furs.  
  
Barbarian axe. pig. barbarian furs. pig. the thoughts turned around in Ranma-chan's mind until she finally, in a burst of brilliance, put two and two together.  
  
"You're that barbarian that was cursed?" The little pig squealed in anger. "Hey don't get made at me, that's what you get for not keeping your promises." The pig twirled in his hands but stopped as he heard some noise coming from the forest.  
  
"Ranma! There you are!"  
  
Ranma-chan scrunched down prepared for another one of Akane's blows but it never came.  
  
"Oh!" Akane squealed. "What a cute piglet!!" She ran up and grabbed the black piglet from Ranma-chan's embrace and hugged it tightly to her chest. "You are too cute!! And what a cute little fur collar! I think I'll call you P-chan."  
  
"Ah, Akane," Ranma-chan started. She stopped short as she caught Akane's angry glare and the barbarian pig's pleading look. Ranma-chan sighed, it was a little bit her fault that he was cursed like this. With a shrug, Ranma-chan gathered up the barbarian's clothes and axe in her arms, trying not to fall over from the sheer weight of them.  
  
"Ranma," Genma said as he rejoined the group. "Did you find the barbarian that attacked us?"  
  
Ranma-chan sighed. "Yeah, but he's okay, it was all a mistake. He said he'd meet up with us after he went back to his camp and picked some stuff up."  
  
Genma shrugged. "All right then let's get moving. I think I saw a camp fire not too far from here." Akane nodded and gripped tightly onto the piglet, oblivious to the discomfort Ranma-chan was in as she dragged the equipment behind her.  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma sat by the fire and watched the metal pot of water start to boil. Akane and Genma had gone off immediately after the arrived at the encampment. Apparently, their fears were right, there was something terribly wrong with the rouges. But before Ranma could ponder the matter further, there was a rustling of the grass next to him as a tiny black piglet came and sat next to him. Taking the water he poured on the piglets head and turned away as the now human barbarian put his clothes back on.  
  
"I would thank you but seeing as this is all your fault." he started.  
  
Ranma sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. I mean, I didn't want you to be a pig but if maybe you had just followed directions and." The barbarian was silent as he pushed the embers of the fire with his axe. "At least you found the seer with the magic water."  
  
The barbarian shuddered. "Don't remind me," he said.  
  
Ranma raised an eyebrow. "What's the problem? I mean pop just said it took a little bribing and." the barbarian shuddered again. "Look never mind about that. It was a temporary fix. My pop and I are here for the real thing, the permanent cure."  
  
"Yeah?" The barbarian asked.  
  
"Sure and since this is sort of my fault, why don't you tag along with us for the cure? I'm Ranma Saotome," he said, sticking out his hand. "Paladin in training from Tristram."  
  
The barbarian looked at his hand. "Ryoga Hibiki, barbarian from Harrogath."  
  
"Harrogath. man that's far. and cold."  
  
Ryoga snickered. "You wouldn't last a minute there."  
  
"Oh well, my pop and I have been all over the world," Ranma said.  
  
"Yeah, well so have I," Ryoga shot back.  
  
"Well," Genma said as he and Akane reached them. "It's nice to see you too getting along. Ranma."  
  
"Yeah, right. Pop, this is Ryoga, he's from Harrogath. That's Akane." Ryoga gave a blushed nod towards her.  
  
"Sorry about before," he said softly.  
  
"That's all right," Akane replied quickly, not ready to admit she was partly in the wrong.  
  
"So what didya find out?" Ranma asked.  
  
"The rouges aren't very talkative," Genma replied. "And they're afraid. From what I can gather, this is their last outpost."  
  
"What?" Ranma asked. "But the rouge territory stretches for days!"  
  
Genma nodded grimly. "Yes and something has gone terribly wrong. Something has corrupted this land." He paused. "And I am afraid I have seen this before."  
  
"The only thing the rouges would say," Akane picked up, "was that we should talk to their priestess. But we can't find her anywhere."  
  
"Ah. you looking for rouge priestess??"  
  
The group jumped and turned towards the voice. There a short man with eyes that were almost shut stared at them.  
  
"Is very tragic story," he continued. "15 months ago, very evil force come and corrupt rouges. Good ones flee but get killed until all that left is here."  
  
"Ah, who are you?" Akane asked.  
  
"I guide, traveler. I wait to go east but no go until road cleared. If I go, I take you there with me."  
  
"That's okay," Ranma said. "All we need is to find the rouge priestess."  
  
"And get out of here quick," Genma added. Ranma shot him a disapproving look.  
  
"Oh okay," the guide said. "You go see priestess, all way at edge of camp. She tell you what need know."  
  
Ranma nodded and stood up. "All right, let's go." Ryoga grabbed his axe and walked after Ranma, followed quickly by Genma.  
  
Akane looked around the fire. "Hey, has anyone seen P-chan??"  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
Tucked away at the edge of camp, a tiny tent fluttered in the wind. Perfumed smoke pillowed out of the top while feathers and charms pulled at the sides. Ranma walked slowly to the entrance, aware that everyone had stopped several meters in back of him. With a tentative hand, he went to knock on the flap.  
  
Before he could do anything, it was thrown open and someone dressed in a billowing red robe stepped out. Ranma looked down to see who it was and let out a terrified scream. Behind him, the three others did as well.  
  
"What's the matter boy?" came a crackling voice. "Are you afraid of the power of the great Rouge Priestess Cologne??"  
  
Ranma slowly regained his strength. "No, but your face is powerful enough to make a mule."  
  
"Ranma, my boy," Genma said, hurrying forward and grabbing Ranma's arm. "Now be polite. I'm sure you didn't want to insult the lovely. AH!" He screamed. The rest of the group did as well.  
  
Genma strained against his urge to run as looked down at the withered face. It turned out the robes took up more space than the old woman herself. "Ah." he stuttered. "Ah."  
  
"What's the matter?" Cologne demanded.  
  
"Well, you see. " he stammered, trying to regain control, "we've traveled a long and arduous journey to find a cure for a curse that was. cast upon us by evil sorcerers."  
  
Cologne raised an eyebrow. "In other words, you managed to curse yourselves." She sighed. "This is why magic was never meant for mortals." She looked up at Ranma and gestured with her finger. "Come here, my boy." Ranma carefully leaned forward until he was face to face with the old ghoul. "Tell me what's your problem."  
  
Ranma was about to speak when he felt a rush of cold water over his head. He quickly shrank into girl form. Ranma-chan whipped around and looked at a guilty Genma who still had the ladle in his hand.  
  
"What didya do that for!" she cried.  
  
"It's easier to show then explain with words," Genma replied. But it as too little too late as Ranma picked up a nearby branch and swung it at him, sending Genma off into the distance.  
  
"Ah," Cologne said. "I see."  
  
Ranma-chan turned around quickly. "So you have a cure???"  
  
Cologne sighed. "Possibly. but first you must do something for me."  
  
"Anything!" Ranma-chan cried.  
  
"There's a den in the middle of Blood Moor that has been overrun with monsters. I need you to clear it out."  
  
Ranma-chan laughed. "Ha! No problem. I'll have it done before you know it."  
  
"We'll have it done," Akane said stepping forward. Ranma-chan looked at her. "We're a team right?" she asked, though the question really had no answer except a full agreement on Ranma's part.  
  
"Right!" Ranma-chan said laughing nervously. "Now let's get some hot water and find pops. Thanks again, we'll be back before you know it," she said waving to Cologne as he jogged off with Ryoga and Akane behind him.  
  
As soon as they were gone, Cologne turned to the tent. "You can come out now."  
  
A tall Amazon emerged from the tent, her purple hair cascading down her back. "You think he strong enough."  
  
"I hope so my dear," Cologne said. "Otherwise, you'll never be rid of your curse."  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma adjusted the last strap of his armor before he shot a look over to his father. "Are you sure you're not coming with us?"  
  
Genma shook his head and lay against a rock. "Someone needs to stay behind and make sure these rouges don't get into any more trouble."  
  
Ranma rolled his eyes. Leave it to his old man to become a coward right before he was needed most. Not that it mattered, it wouldn't be hard clearing out this den and he sure didn't need that tomboy Akane messing thin.  
  
"Okay, I'm ready!" Akane yelled. Looking cautiously over, Ranma saw she had adjusted all of her armor and was gripping her wand tightly. "Let's go!" she started to walk off towards the exit of camp.  
  
Ryoga came next to him and whispered. "How does she stay warm in that?"  
  
Ranma looked at him intently. "Warmth."  
  
Ryoga nodded and started to walk away but Ranma got a good grip on him and pulled him in the right direction. Genma watched them walk off, a small smile on his face. Ranma had been with him too long, he needed friends his own age.  
  
He was about to nod off when he noticed something moving in the shadows. He didn't move but watched the lithe form quickly follow after the small group. As soon as she was gone, Genma got more comfortable near the fire. Ranma will deal with it.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ow!" Akane cried. Looking down she saw a tiny pin embedded in her leg. "Something just hit me!" She called to boys behind her. Ranma ran up and looked down at her leg.  
  
"Okay, stay here. Ryoga, let's go flush them out." Ryoga grunted a reply and withdrew his axe. Akane was about to protest but they had already disappeared. Oh how typical, they figured she would be of no help to them so they just leave her behind while they get to have all the fun. How did they think she would ever learn anything if they didn't give her the chance to fight??  
  
There was a rustling near her and Akane turned, determined to give them a piece of her mind. Instead of Ranma and Ryoga, however, there were two horrible looking zombies walking towards her. Their flesh hung limply on their limbs and they moaned as they dragged their legs to the ground.  
  
Akane suppressed the urge to scream and realized that the chance that she had wanted. As they taught her in school, she concentrated on a picture of a flame in her mind, feeding it every thought, fear, desire that was in her mind until it glowed so intensely that she couldn't contain it.  
  
The spell flew from her lips and her wand glowed. Fireballs erupted from her outstretched hands and hit the zombies repeatedly until they crumpled to the ground. Several seconds after the threat was gone, Akane still sat there breathing hard, her arms locked in attack mode.  
  
Ranma and Ryoga came tumbling towards her, holding the carcasses of a few dead animals. They both stopped short when they saw the smoldering pile of zombies in front of Akane.  
  
"Woah," was Ranma's only reply. Ryoga looked a bit pale. "Hey Akane, you okay?"  
  
Akane suddenly snapped out of her trance. She looked at the ground and saw the dust. "Ah, yeah, I think so."  
  
Ryoga walked over to the pile of debris and started to sift through it. "Well, there's some gold, a couple of arrows and." he held of part of a zombie's foot still attached to some boots. But before he could add it to the pile of items, they disintegrated in the breeze.  
  
"Wow Akane, you really toasted these guys!" Ryoga exclaimed. "You must be at least at level 20 sorceress."  
  
Akane began to blush fiercely. "Actually, I just graduated level 2 but. you really think so??"  
  
"Yeah, that firebolt could've taken out a whole clan of Fallen," Ryoga said grinning, "or a mess of Hell Bovines."  
  
"First of all," Ranma said, getting a bit upset. "There is no such thing as Hell Bovines, everyone knows that. Secondly, yeah okay she cast a good spell but any level 1 sorceress can cast a simple fire bolt. Let's just get moving," he said moving ahead of them. Ryoga shrugged and started to move off but Akane grabbed Ranma's arm.  
  
"Hey," she said to him. "What's the matter?"  
  
"Nuthin," he said gruffly.  
  
"You know, if I didn't know better," Akane said with a sly grin, "I'd say you're jealous." She skipped away before he could answer but that didn't stop him from yelling after.  
  
"Now wait just a sec. Ryoga?? Okay, where the hell did Ryoga go??"  
  
* * *  
  
Five hours later (and twenty-seven wrong turns later) Ranma, Ryoga and Akane finally stumbled upon the entrance of the Den of Evil. As Ryoga sharpened his battle-axe and Akane brushed up on her spells, Ranma concentrated on his ki and began to push it outward, causing a soft blue aura's to form around his companions.  
  
"A heal aura," Ryoga said, somewhat impressed. "But watch this." He leapt up into the air and let out a mighty cry before hitting the ground with a thump. Everyone suddenly felt a little bit stronger.  
  
"Oooh, my turn, my turn!" Akane said. She paused and concentrated, bringing up the spell from memory. The boys cringed expecting to be engulfed in flames but instead the target was their weapons. "Ha, I knew it would work."  
  
"Ah. thanks," Ryoga said examining his red axe. "Fire-enchanted?"  
  
"Uh huh," Akane said with a smile. "Fire is my specialty."  
  
"Good," Ranma said. "We'll need it down there. Ryoga, you and I will concentrate on taking out the stronger enemies. Akane, cover us with fire spells." The group nodded in agreement. "Let's go."  
  
Down they descended into the dark recesses of the Den of Evil. Despite the warmth spell, even Akane felt the coldness of this place so that her skin became goose bumped. Ranma led, his aura creating a tiny circle of light so that they could see in front of them. The sounds of the forest ebbed away and were replaced by an eerie echo of moans and growls.  
  
The trio slowly walked through the first cavern, careful not to make a sound. Ranma shot out a hand suddenly, pointing to a bunch of shadows that were dancing on the wall. He could make what were small horns and small hands that held large clubs.  
  
"Fallen," he whispered. Akane and Ryoga nodded. "Remember the plan."  
  
Ranma took a deep breath. He was used to fighting with his father but not with other people especially inexperienced ones. Well, Ryoga might have the experience but Akane. he didn't want to have to worry about her. He shot a look over and caught himself about to smile. She almost looked cute when she was preparing for a fight.  
  
Ranma shook himself out of his reverie. What was he thinking? This was no time for fiancées. This was time to fight.  
  
Without another word, Ranma moved forward, letting loose a battle cry as he raised he sword to make the first strike. The Fallen tribe was taken by surprise allowing them a few quick kills before they realized what was going on. But seconds after the foes fell, the little red devils sprung back to life.  
  
"Shaman!" Ranma cried. He barely saw Ryoga move next to him. With a mighty cry the barbarian leapt up from the fray and jumped over the minions to reach the Fallen shaman.  
  
From her vantage point, Akane could barely make out friend or foe. She carefully cast fire spells, trying more to distract the enemy then kill them off. However, after several spells, she began to feel tired. Realizing her mistake, she began to search for a mana potion only to find there was none.  
  
She tried to cast a few more spells but she was really starting to feel the drain. Suddenly, the second wave of Fallen came. Akane never expected it and she could tell the others didn't either. Fallen tribes tended to not get along and would never actually come to the aid of another tribe.  
  
"Akane, look out behind you!" Ranma called out.  
  
Akane whipped around and saw a third tribe of Fallen heading towards her. Before she had time to question why yet another tribe had joined the fight, they fell unto her like a wave. Her mana exhausted, Akane did the only thing could and began to lash out with her wand, striking demon after demon squarely on the head.  
  
But for every shot she made, she could feel them making at least three blows on her body. Her armor was taking a lot of the damage but she could already feel consciousness slipping away as she was slowly buried underneath a growing pile of fallen corpses.  
  
Ranma watched with dread as Akane started to disappear underneath the red tide. This was all wrong, he realized, it had to be a trap. His aura started to waver a bit as his body took more and more hits. There had to be around 50 Fallen now cramped into the tiny cavern.  
  
Ryoga was having a very hard time with the Shaman. Its fire spells were really starting to do some damage. Finally, Ryoga managed to get in a nice head blow and the shaman crumpled. He was about to help Ranma when he heard an all to familiar sound behind him. Turning around he saw the Shaman grinning evilly at him just as the second Shaman joined him. With a sigh, Ryoga bent down, bringing his axe to his side to prepare for the renewed attack.  
  
It was all over, Akane thought as she felt herself falling to the ground. They had been beaten in their first battle. With the ebb of conscious falling away, she felt the last remains of her pride fall away as well. And when that happened she was no longer afraid to admit that she was not strong enough to win this battle.  
  
"RANMA!!"  
  
Ranma heard his fiancées' anguished cry and something inside of him changed. The aura around him flashed from peaceful blue to a dark, wicked red. The demon around jumped as flames exploded on them. Ranma moved forward, his sword slashing at anything in his way. The aura began to burn anything in his path so that by the time he reached Akane, most of the Fallen had made way to let him through.  
  
The Fallen noticed that their tribesmen were not getting up. Ryoga stood in the distance with a smile, the two Shaman crumpled at his feet. With a cry of victory he started to run after the Fallen, slicing them down now that they could not be revived. The survivors scattered, running as quickly as they could.  
  
As the chameber emptied out, Akane opened her eyes. She slowly pushed her way off the ground, surprised to see Ranma kneeling next to her.  
  
"Are you okay?" he asked, handing her a potion.  
  
Akane nodded, drinking in the sweet brew. She could feel her wounds starting to close up. She tossed the empty flask aside. She looked up at Ranma, his face covered with dirt and Fallen blood, his ponytail almost coming undone. She blushed a bit and stammered for the right words.  
  
"Thank you," she said. "You were right, I'm just a level 1 Sorceress. I got over confident."  
  
Ranma sighed. "Well, you have a hell of a wand whack then," he said. "You must have taken out a dozen of them." He sighed. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I mean you really can hit for a girl."  
  
Akane raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean, for a girl?"  
  
"Well you know. most fighters are guys 'cause we're stronger and quicker."  
  
"You're also a hell of a lot stupider," Akane shouted, getting very defensive.  
  
"What?" Ranma said. "Hey I was just trying to compliment you!"  
  
"By telling me that girls can't fight as well as a guy??"  
  
"Oh man! I don't know why I even try! Look it's just a fact!"  
  
"I know plenty of woman who could knock you flat on your ass, you uncoth, ill mannered."  
  
"Look who's talking you uncute, tomboy!"  
  
"Oh that's it!" Akane cried. "I don't know why I even bothered trying to talk to a pervert like you!"  
  
"Yeah, well I should have just let you get eaten by the Fallen. But they probably wouldn't even want a scrawny little."  
  
"Who the hell are you calling scrawny!" Akane yelled back. "You. you. cold- hearted."  
  
"Thin-skinned."  
  
"Empty-headed."  
  
"Weak as straw."  
  
"Dumb as dirt."  
  
"KAWAIIKUNE!"  
  
"HENTAI"  
  
The room suddenly lit up as sunlight began to filter in. They both squinted as their eyes readjusted. In the distance, they heard what could have been a barbarian celebration.  
  
".LAST ONE!! HEY GUYS, I THINK I GOT THE LAST ONE!!! AH. where am I?" 


	3. Act 1, Quest 2 : The Sister's Burial Gro...

Author note: Ahem. Rouge, Rogue. what's the difference.  
  
(thanks for the call, I think I got most of them in this one)  
  
And Aquaris. you were close. And I haven't decided on Ranma-chan's class quite yet.  
  
* * *  
  
Act 1 : Quest 2  
  
Ranma Saotome didn't say hello to his father as he passed by. He didn't even bother to pause while Akane and Ryoga collapsed on the ground near the campfire. His blue eyes were filled with grim determination as he moved swiftly towards the edge of the Rogue encampment. He would pull her apart, every scrawny limb from every scrawny limb.  
  
Cologne looked up from her writing, feeling the anger headed towards her tent. With a smile she got up and walked outside her tent just in time to see Ranma heading towards her.  
  
"Be careful boy," she said as he approached, "not to do anything rash."  
  
"Rash?" he yelled. "Who the hell are you to tell me that I shouldn't be rash? You set me up! You set us all up."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Cologne said with a smile.  
  
"The Den of Evil," Ranma spat, "it was a trap. There were three Fallen tribes waiting for us. We were almost all killed!"  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Cologne said. From over his shoulder, she saw Genma, Akane and Ryoga joining them. All three of the youngsters looked exhausted, beaten and bruised. "I didn't think it would be so much trouble. I can heal you all back to perfect help if that."  
  
"Don't try to bribe us!" Ranma returned. "We know you set the trap, we know that you somehow got those tribes to work together against us. And I want to know why!"  
  
"You wrong."  
  
The group's attention snapped away from Cologne to the new voice. There, clad in leather was an Amazon clutching a large spear. Her purple hair moved silently in the breeze. Her purple eyes betrayed no emotion or remorse for what she had just said.  
  
"Great grandmother no set trap. That Shampoo idea."  
  
"Who are you?" Akane asked.  
  
"Shampoo," Cologne said, "is an Amazon warrior. She was traveling with a companion to see me when she ran across a scroll that promised to grant her any wish she desired. But the two of them got into an argument and she accidentally cursed herself and him."  
  
"So what does this have to do with us?" Ryoga demanded.  
  
"Shampoo need help," the Amazon said. "Need strong fighters to travel to desert land to find cure."  
  
"So you never had a cure," Ranma said, turning back to Cologne.  
  
"I have a cure," Cologne replied. "Just not here."  
  
"No matter," Shampoo continued. "Have no use for weak men like you," she said finished looking squarely at Ranma.  
  
Ranma's anger flared again and he drew his sword. "Take it back," he said.  
  
"Ranma," Akane said reaching out to take his shoulder.  
  
"You know truth," Shampoo continued. "You no beat enemy, let dumb barbarian do for you."  
  
"Hey!" Ryoga cried.  
  
"There were three tribes of Fallen," Ranma said. "I couldn't have anticipated."  
  
"No about what you expect." Shampoo continued. "About what you not expect. Road to cure full of non-expected things. You can handle? No. You weak."  
  
"Take it back," Ranma said again.  
  
"No need take back truth," she said, positioning her spear in her hand for an attack. "Unless you prove wrong."  
  
"Ranma please," Akane said, finally taking a firm grip on his shoulder. "We haven't had a chance to rest."  
  
"Stay out this," Ranma said, shrugging her off and crouching into an attack position. His aura flamed red, as it had before. Shampoo smiled and jumped backwards, flipping away effortlessly to a wider space in the encampment.  
  
Ranma advanced, his sword drawn. He walked slowly towards her before breaking out in a run at the last second. It caught her by surprise so that she barely had time to parry with her spear.  
  
The air became filled with a metallic melody as sword and spear crashed against each other. Ranma was tired but he wasn't about to let it show. His muscles were screaming as he pressed his attack, barely giving her a chance to defend herself.  
  
Shampoo was surprised. She hadn't thought that he would fight back this hard. If she wasn't so concentrated on keeping up her defenses, she may have been impressed. Instead, she was desperately searching for a weak spot in his attack.  
  
Instead, he found one in hers. Lashing forward with his sword, he watched her dodge and then quickly brought his shield around to connect with her head. She crumpled and fell to the ground.  
  
"Enough!" Cologne cried. Ranma stopped, breathing heavily as the priestess made her way over to them. "You fight well Paladin, you deserve the role of leader." Looking down at Shampoo, she continued. "And you child, are not ready to lead yet so you shall follow him. Swear it."  
  
Shampoo grit her teeth and didn't speak. "Do it now!" Cologne snapped.  
  
"Shampoo. Shampoo swear allegiance to Paladin Saotome." She stood up and went to retrieve her spear.  
  
"Well boy," Cologne said to Ranma. "Our fates are now in your hands. When we reach the land in the desert, I will find the cure."  
  
Ranma took in a deep breath and looked at her. He didn't understand half of what happened but he figured he had won this round. He felt exhausted but redeemed. The promise of a cure was further away now but not impossible anymore.  
  
Someone started clapping. The entire group turned around and saw a beautiful woman walking towards them, applauding them.  
  
"Well done, Paladin," she said with a sly smile. "The Den of Evils and a duel with an Amazon. You have impressed me and that is a hard thing to do indeed."  
  
Ranma let out an exasperated sigh. "Who are you?" he asked.  
  
"Hinako Ninomiya," she said with a smile. "And I am the leader of the Rogues."  
  
* * *  
  
After a warm bath, several potions and a night's sleep, the group reassembled by the campfire to wait for Hinako to arrive. Ranma pulled at his boot, determined not to look up. On one side, he had Akane who was watching him like a hawk since he had almost collapsed last night after his battle with the Amazon, who watched him on the other side with a look of hatred.  
  
Ryoga didn't look happy either. He was still ticked off for being called a dumb barbarian by Shampoo. He knew that he wasn't the sharpest knife in the drawer but still. And Akane. She had barely said two words to him last night, she seemed consumed by making sure Ranma was all right. He didn't understand her, he didn't understand her at all.  
  
Genma, was watching his son with much interest. It appeared he had two ladies after him now. Well, so long as the boy remember his promise to Tendo.  
  
Hinako walked towards the group, a Rogue archer by her side. The archer disappeared as Hinako took a seat near the fire, across from Ranma.  
  
"You've proven yourselves worthy of being in this camp," she said softly. "We Rogue do not like to ask for help but in these times. something must be done. I know we have not been forthcoming with you about what has happened but the time has come for us. for me to banish my pride and relate our story.  
  
"Something has ventured deep in our hearts, corrupting some and terrifying the rest," Hinako began. "It started as a few Rogue merely misbehaving, which I was able to take care of easily. But then the numbers began to grow and then the deformities began to surface. It seems that what was corrupting their hearts has started corrupting their bodies as well."  
  
"That explains what we saw on the way here," Akane said.  
  
"Yes," Hinako replied. "Those were the remnants of our last battle. We lost. Our land has been corrupted as have our sisters." She took in a deep breath. "And now my scouts have brought me word that they are encroaching on us again. In our most sacred place, the evil Rogue captain, Monlon, has begun to raise the dead." There was a pause. "Of all the desecrations we have faced, this alone may." Hinako paused. She stood up. "Please, help rid us of this scourge." She quickly ran away.  
  
Ranma sighed and leaned back onto the ground.  
  
"Well, I think we should help them," Akane said.  
  
"I'll second that," Ryoga replied. "They're letting us stay here, it's our duty to help them."  
  
"No," Shampoo said firmly. "No time. Must clear road and go east. Cure is east."  
  
Genma nodded. "The Rogues are not our problem. Someone else will help them."  
  
There was silence as everyone turned to Ranma. He suddenly realized that he was the tiebreaker. He knew what he had to do, no matter how much he wanted to get his hands on the cure.  
  
"Ryoga's right, we have a duty to help others. Let's pack out and get this over with quickly," he said, standing up. Shampoo shot him a dirty look but he ignored it. As he walked away to gather his stuff, Akane ran up to him.  
  
"You're doing the right thing," she said with a small smile. He looked at her and nodded. She went on her way and Ranma could help but feel more confident.  
  
"You waste time." Shampoo said harshly as she passed by.  
  
Ranma sighed. So much for confidence.  
  
* * *  
  
The Cold Plains almost lived up to their name. Very similar in appearance to the Blood Moor, they felt different. Hinako didn't need to tell them the dead were buried near by, they could feel it. Ranma had his sword drawn, Ryoga had his axe drawn, even Akane looked ready to fight. Shampoo ambled along, her spear resting over her shoulder as she tried to look more bored. Genma had of course stayed behind to 'protect' the Rogues again.  
  
Akane was smiling and confident. All those history lectures in school, all the daydreams about adventures, she was finally apart of something. Sometimes she missed home but not now. Now she felt like a hero right out of the Sin War. She looked over and smiled at Ranma who was giving her an odd look.  
  
Ranma nodded back and concentrated back on the road. He had no idea what was going through that mind of hers but it was better than the fear she had felt in the Den of Evils yesterday or that lonely sadness she had had on the way here. And for some reason, it made him feel good to see her smiling. Well, at least it did until Shampoo walked over next to him.  
  
"You good fighter," she said. "But not know Rogue ways. Monton strong fighter. Even Amazon respect her. You need plan."  
  
Ranma nodded. "I've got a plan," he replied.  
  
"Good plan?" she asked.  
  
"It'll work," he said.  
  
"Good. Because there cemetery."  
  
Ranma concentrated on the horizon again and saw the tall iron gates of the cemetery. There were Rogue bodies scattered around it, and he could make out some movement around the tombs.  
  
He called the group to a halt. Looking at Shampoo, he pointed towards the cemetery. Shampoo nodded and went off to scout the area. He sat down on the ground and grabbed a stick to diagram his plan.  
  
First he drew a box. Then he drew a few lines. Akane and Ryoga pondered it for a moment.  
  
"So we just rush her?" Ryoga asked. Ranma nodded. "Sounds good to me."  
  
Shampoo came back, a horrified look on her face. The others waited for her to explain. "Is.horrible. Rogues hang from tree and sick Rogue. she no human. All twisted, skin dead, turn gray. Has. has. music toy with string," she continued struggling for the words. "Plays song and dead come out of grave. All bones and zombie."  
  
She looked down at the picture on the ground and shook her head. She quickly made a few changes, showing four entryways and a large tree in the center. She added an X to where Monton was currently as well as small circles with number to show where there were monsters and how many there were.  
  
"Okay," Ranma said in a hushed voice. "Ryoga, you and Shampoo will go straight through the front. Akane and I will double around the back and try to surprise her from behind. If I'm right, then that lute is the only thing that keeps her magic working. If we can destroy it or her, then it should break the spell on the corpses."  
  
Ryoga nodded and stood up, heading back towards the encampment. It took a moment for her to react but Shampoo quickly ran after him, grabbed his arm and steered him in the right direction.  
  
"Are you ready?" Ranma said as soon as they were gone.  
  
Akane nodded. "Here," she said, casting Enchant on his sword. "For luck," she added with a smile.  
  
Ranma nodded and returned the smile as best he could. Then before she could protest, he picked her up and bounded towards the cemetery. He moved so quickly that Akane barely had the chance to see Shampoo and Ryoga already engaged the first wave of monsters.  
  
Ranma quietly landed on the tree in the middle of the cemetery and got his footing. He looked out from the leaves and watched as the deformed Monton walked around laughing maniacally. She would have been beautiful once, he realized, but when she turned towards them, he could see the inhumanness in her eyes. They locked onto his and he saw her smile.  
  
"Okay," he whispered to Akane. "Try to keep things for hitting me too much. I'm going after her."  
  
Akane nodded and prepared her spell. She watched as Ranma jumped from the tree and headed towards Monton. The deformed woman screeched in anger, trying to rouse her troops to her. But Ryoga and Shampoo were keeping them at bay. Realizing she was alone, she began to sing.  
  
Akane had to grab onto the tree as the ground shook and more zombies emerged. She quickly began casting spells with the wand in one hand, a bottle of mana potion in the other. She was not going to make the same mistake twice.  
  
Ranma was having a very hard time hitting the fleeing Monton. She was incredibly fast and had a long bow she would use to hit him from far away. He realized that his plan wasn't working and that she would tire him out before long. He could feel the heat of Akane's fire spells hitting the zombie and it gave him an idea.  
  
"AKANE!" He yelled. "HIT MONTON WITH YOU FIREBOLT!"  
  
There was a pause in her attack before Akane switched her aim. Fire started spourting from the tree and hitting Monton as she fleed. Enraged and unable to determine where the attacker was, she began calling more troops with her siren's song.  
  
"Fall back to the tree!" Ranma called out to Ryoga and Shampoo.  
  
Soon the trio began to fall back towards the huge fire-spouting tree. The zombies and skeletons followed them but they were quickly slashed to bit.  
  
"This not working!" Shampoo cried.  
  
"She's right!" Ryoga said. "We need to finish her off faster!"  
  
"Akane!" Ranma called out.  
  
Akane heard their anguished cries of her name. Her firebolt was not working. It may have been enough to level a couple of zombies but against a creature like Monton it was enough. She needed to try something else.  
  
Advanced spells, her teachers had once told her, were not to be used before extensive practice in a closed area under a teacher's supervision.  
  
So much for that lesson.  
  
"Hey," Ryoga said. "Is it just me, or are some the skeletons fighting each other?"  
  
Shampoo's eyes widened. "No, can't be."  
  
"What can't." Ranma started.  
  
He was interrupted at the tree behind him exploded into flames. The three fighters barely had time to get out of the ways at the trunk was engulfed. .  
  
"AKANE!" Ranma cried, thinking she had miscast a spell and was trapped. But Ryoga grabbed his shoulder and pointed.  
  
In the center of the inferno, Akane stood on the burning branch, a spout of flame emerging from her outstretched hands. Monton was caught in the spell and unable to move as the spell did its damage. She writhed in agony and finally expired, her body exploding into a field of white light. Most of the dead bodies collapsed as soon as she was gone but a few skeletons still walked around.  
  
Up in the tree, Akane's Inferno was starting to waver, not from any action on her point. She couldn't stop it now, it was just draining all her mana. She could only hope that it would stop once it was gone.  
  
Sure enough, several seconds later, the flame extinguished and Akane collapsed to the ground exhausted. Her hands were burning but she could see the flames were no longer there. With a small smile of satisfaction, she fell into unconsciousness.  
  
Ranma and Ryoga ran up to her to make sure she was okay. Neither Ryoga or Ranma had a mana potion and when they went to ask Shampoo for one, she was mysteriously absent.  
  
"Shampoo?" Ranma called. But there was nothing. "Shampoo!" he called a second time.  
  
Then they heard it. Neither of them understood it but they could feel the meaning to the words. The purple haired Amazon was pushing her way through skeletons as she headed towards a crypt, cursing each one as she passed.  
  
Ranma looked to Ryoga for help. "Go on," Ryoga said. "I'll watch after Akane." Ranma didn't have time to think about it because Shampoo's enraged cries were suddenly much louder. Getting up, he ran over to where she was.  
  
"Yo, Shampoo, what's the problem?" he asked her as she stood standing at the door.  
  
"He here! I know he here! Stupid duck boy follow Shampoo!!"  
  
"What??" Ranma asked.  
  
"Mousse!! Shampoo know you there! Come out or Shampoo drag you out."  
  
Before Ranma had a chance to question Shampoo's sanity, the shadows in the crypt moved and a pale face youth with long black hair emerged.  
  
"Necromancer," was the first thing out of Ranma's lips. He drew his sword. "What do you want here?" he demanded.  
  
Shampoo looked at the sword with a laugh. "No need this. Stupid duck boy can't hurt. Right?" she said looking at the boy.  
  
"I could," Mousse replied. "If I wanted to. So just be glad that I'm just to happy to see my beloved to do anything about it!!"  
  
With that he jumped forward and glomped onto a very mad looking Shampoo. "No no no no no!!" she cried. "Get off! Shampoo still mad for what you did!!"  
  
"What did he do??" Ranma asked.  
  
Suddenly there was a crash of thunder and a wave of rain came tumbling down from the sky.  
  
"Great," Ranma-chan said, as her body emerged from the boy form. "Just what I.. AHHHH! CAT!!!" She got up and bolted, running back towards a still unconscious Akane and a very pig-like Ryoga. Only once he was half way across the cemetery did he look back and see a duck and a cat engaged in a full out brawl.  
  
* * *  
  
Half a day later, Ranma-chan managed to drag himself, Akane and the animal menagerie back to the Rogue encampment. It hadn't been easy. There was no dry wood for a fire and their one fire starter was unconscious. So with Neko-Shampoo far away, Ranma had led them back to camp while carrying Akane.  
  
The group collapsed and waited for the water to boil to bring them back to normal forms. As they did, a young child bounded up and watched them with interest.  
  
"You're not the people I just spoke with!" she said as she looked at Ranma- chan.  
  
"Give us a second," Ranma-chan said.  
  
"Are you lying? I can't stand people who lie! They need to be punished."  
  
"Look, little girl, we've all had a rough day and all we want is a nice hot cup of water and a long night's sleep." As if to answer her, the water started to steam. "Finally," she said. She took the water and dumped some of it on her head. Instantly, she shed her female form and felt her body fill out her clothes.  
  
With a happy sigh, Ranma turned and poured some water on P-chan's head and on Muu-muu (the duck)'s head. Both instantly turned back to guys who quickly pulled on their clothes.  
  
"Wow," the little girl said watching them.  
  
"Yeah, really neat," Ryoga said sarcastically. Mousse took the water from Ranma and headed over to where Neko-Shampoo was (far away from Ranma).  
  
"Believe me," Ranma said, "it's not as fun as it looks."  
  
"Can say that again." Ryoga and Ranma turned to where Shampoo had remerged and stopped breathing. She had not yet redressed and stood there, in naked glory looking at their reactions with mock interest.  
  
Ryoga's nose suddenly burst forth blood and Ranma looked away quickly, trying to hide a blush. Shampoo let out a laugh and said something under her breath about immature boys. Turning to grab her armor, she saw Mousse looking at her with a happy smile on his face.  
  
"Stupid duck boy, no stare at Shampoo!" And then she bonked him on the head.  
  
As soon as they were sure she was dressed, they all turned back around. She greeted them all with a small smile and then looked at the little girl. "Hello little girl." The little girl waved shyly.  
  
"So," Ryoga said, "I have a question. What is going on with you two?"  
  
"Well," Mousse said with a smile. "It's a long long story."  
  
"No is very short," Shampoo said. "Duck boy no can fight. Hired Shampoo to guard on way home. That five years ago."  
  
"And it's been true love ever since!"  
  
"No!" Shampoo said. "Dumb duck boy forget mention that not know where home is. So Shampoo stuck. Try run away, always found. Try to leave behind, always catch up. Try wish home. get cursed."  
  
"Yeah, how did that happen?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Well, if Shampoo will let me tell the story," Mousse started. "My Common Tongue skills are better anyway."  
  
"What you say? Shampoo talk good." She gave them all a glaring look and no one thought to disagree. "But you talk. Shampoo tired." Mousse nodded and continued.  
  
* * *  
  
Several weeks before.  
  
"Stay in village Mousse."  
  
"But Shampoo. I would miss you too much. You beautiful hair that flows down your perfect back."  
  
"No where stupid tree?"  
  
"Your glowing eyes that shine in the moonlight."  
  
"Ah. here tree. And here scroll."  
  
"Your wonderful lips that speak such sweet music to my ears. Wait is that the scroll?"  
  
"Yes. now Shampoo wish you home."  
  
"Wait! I want to use our wishes for something more important. Our future! I will wish for us to stay together forever so I can enjoy your hair and your eyes and your lips and your."  
  
"Mousse, let go you silly."  
  
* * *  
  
Mousse stopped and looked around. And that was silence.  
  
"So she called you a silly goose," Ryoga said.  
  
"And you wished you could enjoy her. her." Ranma looked at Shampoo and Mousse and then Ryoga, who was about to have another nosebleed.  
  
"Yes," Mousse said. "Her hair, her eyes, her lips and her cat-like body, agile and trim."  
  
"Oh," Ranma laughed. "Oh that!" Ryoga started laughing.  
  
"What did you think. oh." Mousse blushed, which looked rather frightening against his pale skin.  
  
"What?" Shampoo asked innocently. "What you think he said?"  
  
"Nevermind," the three men said quickly.  
  
"So you found the old village woman," Ranma said, changing the topic, "with the magic water." Shampoo, Mousse and Ryoga shuddered. "What??"  
  
"Nevermind," the other three replied.  
  
"What the heck is going on with this seer anyway??" he demanded.  
  
"Oh," the little girl said. "You met that seer. You are all bad people!! You will be punished now." The girl whipped out a coin and held it in front of her. Before they could do anything, she had enveloped them in a soft green glow. They all collapsed to the ground dead asleep while the woman morphed into Hinako once more.  
  
"Well," she said sheepishly. "They needed the rest anyway."  
  
* * *  
  
The sun was barely above the horizon when Akane's eyes fluttered open. She stretched and looked around for her morning robe. Then she remembered that she wasn't home but in the middle of the Rogue encampment. She was very far from home.  
  
But then she remembered the fight yesterday and how Monton had fallen because of her spell. Oh, she couldn't wait to write home and tell Kasumi about that one. She would be so proud. well she would be disappointed that Akane had used a spell she didn't practice enough but she had saved everyone.  
  
Speaking of everyone. where are they? She got up and headed outside of the tent, which turned out to be Cologne's. Wandering around the camp, she headed towards the now extinguished campfire and found the rest of the group (plus one stranger) fast asleep. She smiled and was about to walk away to find breakfast when she heard some commotion at the edge of the camp.  
  
She watched as several Rogues ran past her and towards the gate. On the ground, everyone started to wake up from the noise.  
  
"What's going on?" Ranma said sleepily.  
  
Akane was about to reply when a horse broke through the Rogue garrison and ran towards the center of camp. On top of it was a very distraught looking solider, who wore armor that Akane found strangely familiar.  
  
It was then she realized he was screaming something. The same thing over and over again.  
  
"Tristram has been attacked! Tristram has been attacked!" Which was followed by a more morbid proclamation. "Tristram is falling! Gods help us all, Tristram is falling!" 


	4. Act 1, Quest 3 : Tristram is Burning

"Tristram has been attacked! Tristram has been attacked!" Which was followed by a more morbid proclamation. "Tristram is falling! Gods help us all, Tristram is falling!"  
  
Akane ran towards the soldier and grabbed him by the leg. "It's a lie!" she yelled as she trying to pull him off the horse. "You're lying!!"  
  
"Tendo… you're Tendo's daughter," the soldier said. "Help me," he pleaded. "Help me convince them to help us."  
  
Hinako walked over towards the duo, several angry rogues following her. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded.  
  
"Tristram is under attack," the guard repeated. "Please, lady rogue, we need your help. I have traveled for several days without rest to reach your land to beg for the assistance of the rogue army."  
  
Hinako sighed. "This is all that remains of the rogue army," she said, motioning to the two dozen women in the camp.  
  
The soldier's eyes widened. "It's a lie. The rogue army…"  
  
"Has been decimated," Hinako interrupted. "We lost against a foe we could not see but one that destroyed us from within. I am sorry but we cannot help you now."  
  
The soldier gripped on the reigns and turned around the camp. "Liars!" he screamed. "You wish to deceive me just as Tristram was deceived." He turned back towards them. "I'll go north. The Barbarians will help us!" With that, he turned his horse from them and burst through the camp's gates again.  
  
"Wait!" Hinako cried but the man was already out of earshot. She turned back to the group with a sad sigh. "His horse is half dead and the snows have fallen to the north. He'll freeze to death within days."  
  
"Should we go after him?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"No," Ranma said firmly. "We'll go to Tristram ourselves."  
  
"You crazy!" Shampoo replied. "Tristram weeks from here. It be dust under demon feet by time get there. Town doomed, we move east."  
  
"How can you be so damn insensitive!" Ryoga yelled.  
  
"Not insensitive," Shampoo said sharply. "Think in real world."  
  
"Shampoo," Ranma said harshly, "Akane's family is in Tristram."  
  
The Amazon yielded for a moment to look over to where the sorceress was. Akane sat on the ground, staring in the direction that the soldier had taken off in. Her face had paled considerably and her eyes stared out, looking at nothing.  
  
"Shampoo sorry," Shampoo said softly. "But Ranma know we not get to Tristram in time."  
  
"Well, unless…" Mousse started. Everyone turned to him. "There might be a way." He paused and shuffled through his cloak before finding a scroll. "I read that there are a series of stones that when hit in the correct order can transport you anyplace you wish instantaneously."  
  
"And what," Ranma said, giving the Necromancer a critical eye, "we just sell our soul to some demon or sacrifice…"  
  
"Paladin rhetoric is getting very tiresome," Mousse said. "Besides, this is not one of our spells. While I was exploring the crypts beneath the Sister's Burial Ground as I waited for my darling Shampoo, I came across a stone upon which was carved the legend of…"  
  
"The scroll of Inifuss," Cologne finished as she hopped over to the group. "Well, Mousse, I see you've found us again." Mousse looked her unhappily. "What Mousse was trying to say is that there is a scroll which tells of the stones."  
  
"Where is it?" Ranma said, grabbing his stuff.  
  
"A few days' march from here," Cologne said watching with interest.  
  
"I'll be back in two days," he said standing up.  
  
"You go alone?" Shampoo asked surprised.  
  
"It will be faster that way."  
  
"But you not know where scroll is."  
  
"I'll find it. Cologne just… draw me a map or something."  
  
Cologne shook her head. "I don't know the exact location of it, it's just a legend. I'm sure that there are several landmarks that might help…"  
  
"I could find it," Mousse said. "I've read lot about this area and I have a good idea of where it would be."  
  
"Then tell me," Ranma said.  
  
"Like Cologne said, this is not something that I could draw." He paused for a moment and stood up. "I'll go with you."  
  
"No way. Mousse only get in trouble if try help," Shampoo said. "I go too."  
  
"This isn't a party," Ranma yelled. "I'm not inviting you to join me and I don't need your help," he finished turning to Mousse.  
  
"But you do boy," Genma said. If Ranma hadn't known him better, he would have suspected that Genma had been crying recently. "Let the Necromancer help you."  
  
"But pop!" Ranma cried.  
  
"Just do it," was his father's reply. "For my sake… and your fiancée's."  
  
The group fell silent. None of them had realized the relationship between Ranma and Akane until now. In fact, considering how the acted towards one and another, it didn't really seem that they were anything more than acquaintances.  
  
"Go on," Ryoga said. "Shampoo and I will watch over the camp and make sure everyone is safe." Ranma paused a moment longer before grabbing the remainder of his things and storming away from the campfire. Mousse barely had time to gather his things to follow him.  
  
As soon as they were gone Ryoga and Shampoo turned to where Akane was still sitting. She hadn't moved yet, her eyes still wide in shock. Ryoga was about to walk over there but Shampoo flung out a hand to stop him.  
  
"Boy go get hot water, no talk to girl, not know what to say." Ryoga looked a bit indignant at the remark but let it go. Shampoo walked over to where Akane was sitting. Slowly she sat down next to the other girl and looked out to where Ranma and Mousse had just gone, unsure of what to say. After a moment thought, she placed her arm on Akane's shoulder.  
  
* * *  
  
"Would you wait just a second!" Mousse cried out. But Ranma kept pushing forward. By Mousse's count they had been walking for close to fourteen hours. The sun was already starting to set and in a few hours it would be unsafe for them to walk.  
  
But Ranma wasn't listening. He was so intent on the road that he didn't bother to listen to his traveling companion except of the occasional direction or instruction. Amazing, no one monsters had attacked them, probably owed to the fact that Ranma's ki was glowing such a fierce red that none dare come close. Ranma turned to ask Mousse from the next direction and was surprised to find his companion was no longer next to him.  
  
He looked around furiously for the lost Necromancer and finally saw some smoke in the distance. He walked towards the source and found Mousse sitting calm by a roasting fire, warming up some water.  
  
"What are you doing?" Ranma demanded as soon as he got there.  
  
"I am preparing camp for the night."  
  
"There's still several hours before night fall."  
  
"It's more like several minutes. Besides, the mountain walls are visible now and traversing the passages underneath them is not advisable during the night." Mousse pulled out some pouches from his pack. He poured the contents into two cups and added the hot water. He offered it to Ranma but the other man snickered.  
  
"Like I was trust that from you," Ranma said.  
  
Mousse sighed. "I thought that I was the one that was supposed to be angry and mean. I thought Paladins reflected the aura's of goodness and virtue."  
  
"What are you implying?" Ranma demanded. Mousse gestured to the red aura that surrounding him. Ranma took a look at it and sighed. He sat down next to the fire. "It's just a simple attack aura."  
  
"Aura's reflect a Paladin's mood. Yours has been red since the moment I met you."  
  
"I've just had a rough couple of months," Ranma replied.  
  
Mousse took in a deep breath of the brew. "Really? I think that being cursed to turn into a duck was pretty bad."  
  
"Trying being cursed to turn into the girl."  
  
Mousse raised an eyebrow. "I don't know there could be certain advantages. You could probably buy things a lot cheaper."  
  
"It does work well actually," Ranma said. Mousse nodded and took in a deep drink.  
  
"Is that still enough to be that angry?" Mousse asked. Ranma didn't say a word. "Your fiancée seems pretty enough." Ranma shrugged. "You do love her don't you?"  
  
"It's an arranged thing," Ranma replied. "Our parents decided. I barely know her. I shouldn't have been surprised, what with the way pop always makes my decisions for me."  
  
"So this is about your father?"  
  
"No! I mean… look, just a rough couple of months okay."  
  
Mousse shrugged. He placed the second cup of tea down next to Ranma. "This will help to calm you down." Ranma just looked at it. "I know Paladins and Necromancers don't trust each other but I really have no reason to hurt you." Ranma didn't move. Mousse sighed. "I drank it and I'm not growing any extra bones or demon wings. Unless you're afraid to try…"  
  
"I ain't afraid!" Ranma said snatching the cup and drinking most of the contents. "Besides, last time I heard you were the only one who's a coward."  
  
Mousse smiled. "I'll tell you a secret, if you promise on your honor not to tell anyone else." Ranma took in another sip of the tea, not willing to admit it was good, and nodded sternly. "I'm a level 32 Necromancer."  
  
Ranma choked on his drink. "What?? But you were casting pansy ass skeleton spells! And what about Shampoo, she said you couldn't protect yourself!"  
  
Mousse sighed. "When a beautiful woman like Shampoo offers to travel with you, believe me you make a few sacrifices."  
  
"Not me," Ranma said. "I'd never make believe I was weaker than I was, especially for a girl."  
  
"We'll see," Mousse said softly. "I was serious about not telling anyone, especially Shampoo," he finished, not really masking the fear in his voice.  
  
Ranma snickered and yawned, the tea already taking effect. A few minutes later he pulled out a blanket and went to sleep.  
  
* * *  
  
"Shaman!" Ranma cried out, slashing down another one of the fallen. He looked over a Mousse, who had a small army of skeletons protecting him in addition to a Bone Armor. Mousse looked over trying to identify the Shaman. He directed his skeletons towards the target.  
  
"Hey!" Ranma called out. "That's not the SHAMAN!"  
  
Mousse paused and tried again.  
  
"He's… to… the… left!" Ranma cried out slashing four Fallen only to have them rise up again. Mousse corrected their movements. "Oh for the love of…" Ranma kicked a fallen hard and walked over to the Shaman and slashed him down. He healed himself as Mousse's skeleton made mince-meat of the remaining fallen.  
  
"What is your problem man?" Ranma asked. "I thought you were a level 32 Necromancer but you have no control over your skeletons!"  
  
"It's not like that!" Mousse cried.  
  
"Than what!" Ranma demanded. Mousse whispered quietly under his breathe. "What?"  
  
"I can't see!" Mousse replied.  
  
"You can't…" Ranma walked over and waved his hand in front of Mousse's eyes but the other man just caught it.  
  
"I can see some things… just not clearly. It's been that way since I was young."  
  
Ranma sighed. "That's why you can't find your way home. You can't see where it is. And that explains why you needed Shampoo to help you."  
  
Mousse slumped his shoulders. "I can read the scrolls if I hold them close, memorize the spells. I have no problem casting them with help. One day I got on the coach to school and… I ended up in the land of the Amazons."  
  
Ranma snickered and then started to laugh. "Oh man, so all that 'doing it for love' stuff was a bunch of crap!"  
  
Mousse shook his head. "I am completely devoted to Shampoo but I don't want her to think of me as helpless."  
  
"I think she already thinks you're helpless…" Ranma paused. "Hey, does this mean you really don't know if we're going the right way?"  
  
Mousse shook his head. "If you've been following my directions then I know we're going to right way. If I'm right, there should be an exit around the next bend."  
  
Ranma took off and sure enough, he saw daylight filtering through an exit. Excitedly he headed up, making sure Mousse was right behind him. He spent a few minutes soaking in the sunlight before he took in his surroundings.  
  
"MOUSSE! THIS IS WHERE WE JUST CAME FROM!"  
  
Mousse looked around. "I admit it does look the same but it smells different. Let's walk about to the east and see what we find."  
  
Trying to contain his anger, Ranma hurriedly move in the direction Mousse had said. He started mumbling angrily to himself before he heard a huge thud behind him. Looking back, he found Mousse embracing a tree rather firmly.  
  
"This is it," Mousse said, moving his hands around the ancient tree's trunk After a few minutes searching, he found a crack in the bark and reached his hand into it, withdrawing a rather ragged looking scroll. He held it up close to his face. "The Scroll of Inifuss… amazing."  
  
"Yeah, really pretty and all," Ranma said absent mindedly. "Let's just get it back to the Encampment." He sighed. "Going to be a long trek though and it's already taken longer than I thought."  
  
"Lucky for you, some of us are not as magically challenged." Mousse reached inside his robe and produced another scroll. He unraveled it and spoke the words on it without actually reading them. A second later a blue portal opened. "Town portal," he said. "It'll stay open until we return here." He stepped through and disappeared. A second later, Ranma followed.  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma took another bite of meat while he waited for Mousse and Cologne to decipher the scroll. He rested his feet on his pack, letting the fire warm them up. The day was only half over but it was already getting cold. He looked over to where Ryoga was an marveled at how it didn't seem to phase him at all. Probably all those winters in Harrogath, numbed his feeling right along with his brain.  
  
"What do you want?" Ryoga demanded, as if he could Ranma's thoughts.  
  
"Nothing man," Ranma said, shifting a bit. "Just enjoying the fire."  
  
"Bah," Ryoga said standing up and walking away. "It's to damn hot for me. I'm going to go check in on Akane."  
  
Ranma stood up. "I'll do it, I haven't seen her since I got back anyway."  
  
"It's okay," Ryoga said quickly. "She's probably just sleeping. I don't mind going."  
  
Ranma paused and looked at the Barbarian. He studied his face, seeing something in his eye. "I don't think you do," Ranma said.  
  
"It's not what you think," Ryoga said quickly.  
  
"Well, I think you're after my fiancée," Ranma retorted.  
  
"It almost sounds like you care," Ryoga replied.  
  
"What?" Ranma cried. "About that uncute, tomboy who hits me every time I say something wrong??"  
  
"Then you don't mind," Ryoga said, turning to go. Ranma was about to chase after him when he heard his name being called out. He looked over and saw Cologne and Mousse heading towards him.  
  
"What's up?" he asked, trying to hide the irritation.  
  
"We've deciphered the scroll," Cologne replied. "Now when you arrive at the Field of Stones, you will be able to open the portal to where ever you wish."  
  
"I think I've figured out how to get it to Tristram," Mousse said. "So I'll come with you."  
  
"Shampoo come too," the Amazon said as she landed near them.  
  
"Me too," Genma said joining the group.  
  
"I'm going with you," a feminine voice said. Turning around, the group saw Akane standing with Ryoga, he hand clutched tightly on her wand. "I need to go."  
  
Any protest he had died on Ranma's lips when he saw the look in her eye. There was no argument. Ranma nodded and walked towards the portal, his small army behind him. His aura flashed red again and quickly moved around the others. It became so intense that it almost out shone the blue portal light as he stepped through.  
  
* * *  
  
"Fifty," Shampoo said as she landed softly on the ground, holding her spear tightly. "Four shaman too."  
  
Ranma sighed. It had taken them long enough to try to find the stones that the scroll spoke of. "Great, more Fallen to deal with."  
  
"Not Fallen," Shampoo said. "Blue Fallen."  
  
"Blue?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"She means Carvers," Ranma said. "The Fallen's big bad cousins. Same game plan. Ryoga, hack and slash. Shampoo, you and Akane take out the Shaman first. Dad, do some damage with elementals from here. Mousse you're with me. I'll cut you a path to the stones." Mousse nodded, grateful that Ranma had realized he needed a lead there and not giving up his secret.  
  
Seconds later, their weapons shining Fire red, their aura's blazing crimson, their strength risen, the group descended into the group of monsters with yells. Genma stayed behind and watched the children leap into the fray.  
  
If he had been an artist man, he might have described their movements as a dance of colors as red steel met with blue skin. If he had been a poet, he would have found ways to describe how their movements were swift as the lion's, deadly as the wolf's, and terrifying as the bear's.  
  
But Genma was a simple man so he could only think of one thing. Man these kids can kick some ass. So much so that he had barely fired off a couple of hurricane spells when the battle was suddenly over.  
  
Mousse was reading the scroll while Ranma pushed the stones in the correct order. A beautiful music filled the air as light erupted from the circle. Briefly, Genma thought he saw a pattern in the light but by the time he made it to rejoin the group it was gone and in its place was a blazing red portal.  
  
"Thought portal blue," Shampoo said, eyeing it wearily.  
  
"This one," Mousse said walking around it, "is a bit different." He paused and leaned forward. "I think I can smell something burning."  
  
"Let's not just stand around then," Akane said fiercely. "Let's go."  
  
"We need a plan first," Ranma replied. "We need to divide into…"  
  
"Screw your plan," Akane cut in, stepping into the portal.  
  
"Akane!" Ranma cried but it was too late. Muttering a curse, he stepped through, following hotly on the trial on his fiancée.  
  
Mousse was right, Ranma smelt the burning before he had stepped completely through the portal. His foot hit the ground and almost sank to his ankle. After a minute of adjusting to the new scenery, he realized that he wasn't stepping on dirt but rather black ash. He felt pushed from behind and turned around to see the rest of the group coming through.  
  
"Where did she go?" Ryoga muttered as soon as he materialized.  
  
Ranma looked down the road, suddenly recognizing it. It was the same road he and Pop had traveled on to reach the Tendo house. But any similarity between the two ended there. This road was lined with burning houses and bodies. The sky was a pale red with dark gray clouds. It may have been raining or it may have been ash but Ranma couldn't really tell.  
  
Without a word, he headed towards the Tendo's, knowing that that was where Akane was headed. As they tried to follow, the group suddenly realized the bodies that lined the road were moving.  
  
"Survivors," Genma said moving towards them.  
  
Mousse managed to grab his arm before he got very far. Genma turned around and looked at the young man, seeing recognition in his eyes. "Not survivors…" The bodies stood up. "Zombies."  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma could have sworn that he heard battle cries behind him. But he ignored them and pressed onward. As he did, he path was suddenly blocked by what appeared to be ten tiny daggers.  
  
"Stop right there, Saotome," said a voice.  
  
Ranma stopped and drew his sword, looking around for the source of the voice. "Where are you?"  
  
"Right behind you," the voice said, just as Ranma felt something on his shoulder. Ranma turned around and only found air. "Or maybe someplace else."  
  
"Look I don't have time for this," Ranma said. "I have someone more important to find."  
  
"Oh that little sorceress… well, the Zombies carried her off already. Probably back to the center of town, they've been executing a lot of people there." Ranma paled and looked around, not knowing where the town center was. There was a rustle from a bush next to the road and a cloaked figure stepped out.  
  
"My fight is with you," the figure said, "not the girl. Let's go find her and finish this later."  
  
Ranma tried to understand exactly what the other guy meant but decided that nothing was important as finding Akane safe and sound. Nodding, he followed behind the cloak as they moved quickly through town.  
  
Zombies tried to move against them but the two of them sliced through them like they were just fog. Just as the cloak stopped moving, Ranma heard what could only be Akane screaming at the top of her lungs. Not waiting any more, Ranma took off towards the yelling, running as fast as he could. It sounded like she was in trouble, like they were torturing her!  
  
But when he arrived he found a quite different scene. It was the Zombies that were being flambéed as Akane hurtled Fire balls at them while screaming at them.  
  
"This is for the school you burned down! This is for the store where I used to get bread from! This is for…"  
  
"That's my girl. Show them how it's done!"  
  
"Mr. Tendo?" Ranma said looking up and seeing Akane's father imprisoned in a cage lifted into the air.  
  
"Ah Ranma," Tendo said looking down at him. "Nice of you to finally arrive. I see you've been doing a good job of protecting my little girl," he said as his head started to grow larger.  
  
"This is for all the clothes you destroyed when you burnt my house!"  
  
"She just ran off…" Ranma said, watching with horror as Tendo's head began breaking the cage as it grew.  
  
"This is for grabbing me in the wrong place!"  
  
"My only little girl, taken captive by Zombies with her fiancée no where in sight!" Soun cried as his head landed near Ranma. Ranma held onto his sword as best he could.  
  
"Tendo!" Soun's face quickly deflated as he saw his friend Genma arriving with the reinforcements.  
  
"Saotome!" Soun replied grabbing his friend in a tight embrace.  
  
"I should have known a measly siege like this wouldn't do you in," Genma smiled.  
  
"Yes well, unlike your son, a bunch of Zombies are no match for me," Soun replied.  
  
"This is for thinking you could kidnap me!"  
  
"Hey!" Ranma cried. "It wasn't a problem at all! I just didn't know the way until that guy in the cloak showed me where to go… where did he go."  
  
"Of course," Soun said softly. "The 'guy in the cloak' made you almost miss saving my daughter."  
  
"This is for putting my father in a cage!"  
  
Ranma looked over as Akane toasted the last of the Zombies. "Yeah, like she needed any of my help. Half of them are toast on the ground and the rest of them are running away from her little fireball spell."  
  
"LITTLE!" Akane said walking up to him. "Did you just call my Fireball spell little??"  
  
"Akane, I didn't mean it like that," Ranma said backing up and breaking into a run as a fireball followed him.  
  
* * *  
  
"Nothing," Genma said as he rejoined Ryoga, Mousse and Soun at the center of town. "It looks like everything was destroyed. Even the weapons in the shop are melted or broken."  
  
Soun shook his head. "We didn't even have time to prepare. They descended on us like locusts. Half the town was destroyed before some of us managed to get some weapons and send a messenger out. We held them off for as long as we could…" He trailed off and the other looked down at the ground.  
  
"Pop, Mr. Tendo!" They looked over and saw Ranma waving his arms. "You better get up here!"  
  
Genma and Soun took off, reaching Ranma location just in time to see Akane gently touch a robed figure on the ground. It looked like a beggar and his artificial leg was poking from underneath the cloak. Soun stopped suddenly.  
  
"That's Nabiki's beggar costume," he said softly. Akane looked up at her father and back down at the crumpled mess on the ground. She bit her lip and reached down, grabbing the cloak and wiping it off.  
  
The sky suddenly filled with gold as coins scattered. Akane had to duck to avoid getting hit but as soon as it was done, she looked at the uncovered mass. There was a bunch of flour bags, some hay and a note. She reached over and grabbed the note carefully.  
  
Akane,  
  
Kasumi and I are teleporting out of town. Dad's in trouble but we're too out of practice to help him and we know you'll save him. We'll try to get in contact later but until then, here's something for your quest. Don't use it all at once.  
  
Nabiki  
  
Akane read it out loud and Soun smiled. "Smart girls. If I know them, they're already enjoying themselves on some tropical island." He paused. "Though it has been a while since they've practiced their magic…"  
  
"How would Nabiki know that Akane would read the note," Genma asked.  
  
Akane and Soun looked at each. "She just knows things," Soun replied.  
  
Genma nodded and finally took notice of his son who was jumping around like an idiot crying "We're rich, we're rich, we're r… hey, why is this coin mushy… chocolate… NABIKI!!!!"  
  
* * *  
  
In the shadows, a cloaked figure watched the tiny group. "You're safe for now Saotome but I'll follow you back to your camp and make you pay for you did to me. I'll get you back for all the years of torment and make you regret ever leaving me and making me follow this…"  
  
"Stupid cloak talk too much." Before the figure could react a spear came down and landed on his head. Shampoo looked down at the figure with a shrug and dragged it back towards the center of town. 


	5. Act 1, Quest 4 : The Forgotten (and for ...

Akane walked over to where her father was sitting by the fire. It had been several hours since they had returned to the Rogue Encampments and they hadn't had a chance to talk yet. She sat down next to him with a smile, watching as his eyes lit as she did.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Akane asked.  
  
Soun shrugged. "It's better, knowing that at least you're okay."  
  
"But Nabiki and Kasumi said they were teleporting out of there. They should be fine." She paused reading her father's face. "Shouldn't they?"  
  
Soun sighed. "They're no longer in Tristram at least. But as I said, it's been some time since they tried to use their magic. I'm not sure where they managed to teleport. They could have ended up anywhere."  
  
Akane's brow furrowed before she stood up. "We'll find them. I know we will. Kasumi will be with Nabiki and Nabiki has friends all over the world so one of them will know where she is. Either that or we find the closest source of money and she'll be there."  
  
"Ah, you looking for money??" Akane and Soun looked up to see the Guide looking down at them. "I know good place to get money, power and immortality."  
  
Soun and Akane looked at each other. "Sounds like heaven for Nabiki."  
  
* * *  
  
"We'll leave in the morning," Ranma said. "According to the Rogue leader, we just need to clear out the monastery on the edge of the land to clear up the roads." He looked down at his small group of fighters. His… because they were all, for one reason or another, following him now. "There's just one more problem to deal with."  
  
Ryoga and Mousse looked over to where Shampoo was standing guard over the cloaked figure. Shampoo looked rather fierce with her spear but the other guy wasn't moving.  
  
"Look, I don't know what you're problem with me is," Ranma said looking into the darkness of the hood, "but I ain't got time to fight you. So either tell me what I did wrong so I can apologize or just leave me alone."  
  
The figured chuckled. "You don't recognize me do you??"  
  
"Well the whole cloak thing kind of makes that hard," Ranma said. The figure paused and removed it with a quick motion of his hand. Or rather her hand. As soon as the cloak fell away, a beautiful young woman with long brown hair and a rather revealing black outfit appeared. Actually revealing wasn't the word. If Ranma tried hard enough, he could almost tell whether or not the body suit was painted on or…  
  
Ryoga's nose burst forth blood. Mousse's eyes went cross (because with his vision he couldn't really make out the outfit at all). And out of nowhere, Akane appeared to whack Ranma over the head.  
  
"Well," Akane said as she rejoined the group, "I'm glad to see that you're all doing such productive work. Who's the floozy?"  
  
"Who are you calling floozy?" The woman said standing up.  
  
"Careful Akane," Shampoo said, raising her spear. "You not want mess with Assassin. She very dangerous."  
  
The Assassin bowed. Akane snickered. "Well, you seem to have put the boys out of commission. Nice outfit."  
  
"I like yours too," the Assassin replied.  
  
"You notice how all girls wear almost no clothes," Shampoo said. "Why that?" Akane and the Assassin looked at Shampoo and back at the boys, who were at the moment either drooling, bleeding or both. Shampoo nodded. "That answer question."  
  
"So who are you anyway?" Akane demanded. "And why are you here?"  
  
"Revenge," the Assassin said darkly. "Against him," she finished pointing at Ranma.  
  
"Him?" Akane asked. "What on Earth could a second-rate Paladin have done to you?"  
  
"HEY!" Ranma cried out, breaking from his semi-conscious state. "Who are you calling second-rate??"  
  
"I have come to repay him for what he stole from me!"  
  
"What he steal?" Shampoo asked.  
  
"My innocence! My womanhood!!"  
  
Both Akane and Shampoo balked. Before for he could protect himself, Ranma was faced with an all out assault.  
  
"You pig!! How could you do that to her!" Akane cried.  
  
"Bad man, you do thing with girl and leave?? Amazon way is death for man!"  
  
"Stop it! I've never done anything of the sort!" Ranma cried. Akane and Shampoo stopped.  
  
"Ranma no sleep with woman ever?" Shampoo asked in disbelief.  
  
"No way!" he cried. Then he stopped and realized what he just said. "I mean… that's not what I mean…"  
  
"Sleep with me?" the Assassin broke in. "He didn't sleep with me! The last time we saw each other we were only six years old!!"  
  
Ranma paused and looked at the Assassin. "Ucchan??"  
  
Ukyo nodded. "Yeah, it's mean, your dear friend Ucchan. The same girl you left behind all those years ago so that you could continue with your…"  
  
"Girl?" Ranma asked.  
  
Ukyo's speech faltered. She looked at Ranma. "What do you mean girl??"  
  
"You're a girl??" Ranma said again.  
  
"Boy," Mousse stated, "you must be blind."  
  
"Duck boy like half dressed assassin?" Shampoo said walking over to him. "Duck boy can have dumb assassin," she finished whapping him over the head with her spear.  
  
"Ucchan… you're really a girl. I didn't know!"  
  
Ukyo stopped. "But then… then, why did your father agree to the engagement?"  
  
"The WHAT?" Akane said.  
  
Ukyo looked over at the other girl. "We gave Ranma and his father part of our business as a dowry. But they left the next day… with the business!!"  
  
"What did you use to do?" Akane asked.  
  
"We were chefs…"  
  
Ranma paused suddenly remember the incident. "Wait! I remember we were on your cart, driving away. You were running after us." He paused. "We ate all the food on the cart and were violently ill for the next three weeks."  
  
Ukyo snickered. "Did I mention that our specialty was poisoned okonomiyaki?" She paused at Ranma. "So you really didn't know?"  
  
Ranma shook his head vehemently. "No way! You were my best friend! I wouldn't have done it to you on purpose."  
  
Ukyo sighed. "I don't know… I'm still really mad…I mean I did give up becoming a normal woman to be come a world class assassin."  
  
"Take it out on Pop!" Ranma cried. "It sounds like his fault anyway."  
  
"Do that later," Akane said. "I have a lead on where Nabiki might be hiding. There's a tower somewhere in the Black Marsh that was once home to a countess who used to sacrifice virgins for their blood to make her immortal. She apparently had a huge army and a lot of gold. It's just the type of place Nabiki would go to."  
  
"Let's go then," Ranma said standing up. He looked over at Shampoo waiting for her to challenge him. Shampoo's face broke into a small smile.  
  
"Paladin better be more careful than usual," she sang before grabbing Mousse by the collar and dragging him off to Cologne to get some supplies.  
  
* * *  
  
"Stupid forest…. Stupid crows… Stupid NEST!"  
  
The Crow's Nest exploded with impact as Ryoga's axe. He pushed pieces away from it. Ukyo looked over at him, pulling some remains from the blades on her hands.  
  
"I told you there would be a nest," she said with a smile.  
  
"Feh," he said. "I could have handled them."  
  
"Of course," Ukyo said, rolling her eyes. "Everyone can take on an infinite number of Foul Crows." The two walked over to where Ranma and Mousse were finishing off the rest of the crows. "So what's the deal," she said as the joined up again.  
  
Ranma sighed. "Nothing yet. Akane and Shampoo must still be looking." To answer him the sky to the north lit up with a fireball. Without a word, Ranma and the group started moving towards it. Upon arrival, they found Akane and Shampoo talking in front of a falling Tower.  
  
"…telling you, magic is the way to. Imagine having a bit of a kick to that spear strike. I hear lightning is the way to go but that wasn't my concentration."  
  
Shampoo pursed her lips. "Hear legend of Zerae but thought only legend." She looked up at the group as they arrived. "Found Tower," she said pointing behind her. "Look empty but door lead down."  
  
"It looks like whatever the Countess was storing there," Akane continued, "managed to escape most of the structural damage. I think it will be safe to climb down to the lower levels."  
  
* * *  
  
"SAFE MY ASS!" Ranma yelled as he ran down the hall, quickly followed by Ryoga, Akane and Ukyo.  
  
Akane moved quickly. "You make it sound like it's my fault!"  
  
"Because it is!!" Ranma cried. "First level, there were ghosts, second level there were more ghosts and a few Skeletons for kicks. Third level…"  
  
"All right already," Akane cried in return. "I thought it looked safe."  
  
"Hey!" Ryoga broke in. "Any one notice we're short a couple of people?"  
  
Ranma stopped and looked around. He suddenly stopped running. "I thought I gave the order to retreat!"  
  
"I believe," Ukyo said, trying to catch her breath now that they had stopped running, "her exact words were 'Amazon no run from fight'."  
  
Ranma grabbed unto his knees and stifled a curse. Without a word, he started to run back the way they had just came. Ukyo and Ryoga took after him but Akane was still catching her breath.  
  
"Hey… guys… wait… for…ah forget it," she said as she saw them disappear around the corner.  
  
She sat on the floor and decided that she was going to need to catch her breath before she tried to run back. This was so much harder than the training she had gone through. She used to enjoy running but this was a bit ridiculous.  
  
There was some movement in the next room and Akane took a sharp breathe in. Maybe staying here by herself wasn't such a good idea.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hang on guys, we'll have you out in a minute," Ranma said as he looked at the interesting scene. Most of the monsters were dead, the remaining ones were being hunted down by Ukyo. But Ranma had a bigger problem to deal with at the moment.  
  
"How did this happen again?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"Stupid duck boy cast bone wall, but cast wall all around Shampoo and self!!!"  
  
"I was just trying to protect my darling…"  
  
"No need protection." Thwap. "Was doing fine on own." Thwap.  
  
Ranma studied the bone wall for a few minutes longer before looking at Ryoga. "I guess we just hack away at it."  
  
"Yeah," Ryoga agreed. "I don't think it's safe for them to be trapped in there, might run out of air."  
  
"I'm more worried about Shampoo killing Mousse."  
  
"But Shampoo, I love…" Thwap.  
  
Ukyo surveyed the scene a moment later before she took off down the hallway to hunt a stray Skeleton. As she wandered away, she could hear the distant sounds of bone being cracked. Looks like they'd all be ready to move soon enough. Well, except for Akane… where was that girl anyway?  
  
Ukyo stopped, the trail of the Skeleton suddenly went cold. She looked around wildly before she realized that she surrounded.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ukyo! Akane!" Ranma called out. "Where did they go?"  
  
"Akane!" Ryoga called out. "I don't see them anywhere."  
  
Shampoo hit Mousse upside the head. "See what problem duck boy cause??"  
  
Mousse looked at Shampoo with a hurt expression. "It's not my fault they got lost."  
  
"Let's not blame anyone," Ranma said walking towards a dark hall. "Let's just find…OOF!!"  
  
"Ranma okay?" Shampoo called out.  
  
"Of all the places to put a well. I'm completely soaked!!"  
  
"Was warm water then," Shampoo said. "No turn into girl."  
  
There was a pause. "No… it was cold…"  
  
"But why no turn to girl Ran…"  
  
She stopped speaking and just stared. Ryoga stared. Mousse strained his eyes and then quickly fell backwards.  
  
"Guys?" Ranma asked tentatively.  
  
They all screamed. Ranma screamed back. They all screamed again and backed off. Ranma looked down and saw half of him was red. "Blood! I fell in a pool of cold blood! Get it off!!! Get IT OFF!!!" All four of them screamed.  
  
Suddenly they were answered by a distinctly feminine voice. Everyone looked at Shampoo. "Not me," she said.  
  
"It must be Akane or Ukyo," Ryoga said.  
  
"Let's go!" Ranma said pointing forward, his hand flinging red liquid towards the group. Shampoo and Ryoga ducked but Mousse caught some on the lip. He looked horrified for a moment and then took in a deep breath.  
  
"Wait a minute," he said. "This isn't blood. It's… it's jelly." He licked his lips. "Definitely strawberry."  
  
"Why would someone keep a vat of strawberry jelly in the middle of a haunted tower?" Ranma asked. The voice screamed again. "Forget it, let's go get the girls!" he said, refraining from pointing and splattering everyone again.  
  
They began to run towards the sounds, eventually reaching a staircase spiraling down into darkness. Ranma didn't pause and was half way down the staircase before he realized her was alone. "Hey!" he called up. "Where are you guys?"  
  
"NO GO DOWN THERE!" Shampoo yelled down.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I have to agree," Mousse continued. "This is a bit too disturbing…"  
  
Ranma tried to contain his anger as he walked up the stairs. When he reached them, he saw a group completely consumed by fear. "What?" Ranma demanded.  
  
Ryoga point to the doorway. Ranma turned around with a sigh to see what could have felled three great warrior like…  
  
He paused. He studied it. He reached up and grabbed the white netting from the edges of the cave. He examined it and let out a sigh.  
  
"This isn't a spider web, it's just lace."  
  
"That's what we're afraid of," Mousse said.  
  
"Remind too much of story of…"  
  
"Oh just knock it off," Ranma said. "I don't care what story you heard, we are going down there to rescue Akane and Ukyo right now." He grabbed Mousse and pulled him down the stairs. After a moment more hesitation, Shampoo and Ryoga followed behind.  
  
The steps only took a few minutes to traverse and when they are arrived at the bottom, Ranma let out a laugh. "See, nothing to worry ab…OOF."  
  
He pitched forward, expecting to land in more jelly but instead finding himself as herself instead. Ranma-chan stood up with a grimace.  
  
"Of all the place to put a well," she said starting to ring out her shirt. Looking back at the others she found something most unexpected. Her splash had hit everyone and in place of fierce of warriors, there was a goose, a pig and a ca… ca…  
  
"CAT!" Ranma-chan yelled before taking off. Neko-Shampoo meowed before running after him. P-chan and Muu-muu the duck looked at each other and began squawking/squealing at each other before they went off after neko- Shampoo and Ranma-chan.  
  
Ranma in the meanwhile was making sure that she kept a very healthy distance away from neko-Shampoo. She was so caught up in looking behind herself that she barely realized she had entered what appeared to be the main chamber of tower.  
  
"Ranma!"  
  
Ranma-chan turned, hearing Akane's cry. She didn't know what to expect, this whole thing was so bizarre. And apparently it was about to get much stranger…  
  
Akane was sitting a small table, with a tea cup on a small platter in front of her. She was wearing what appeared to be a pink frilly dress and had flowers in her hair. Her cheeks were painted with deep red circles. Her arms were bound up but it didn't really look like she was in that much danger.  
  
Ukyo, on the other hand, was seating across from her and was strapped down to her chair with ropes with her mouth gagged. However if Ranma looked carefully he could swear she had a bib on top of her chest, a bonnet on her head and little booties on her feet.  
  
"What the hell?" Ranma-chan asked.  
  
"Ranma! Just RUN!" Akane cried out. "It's more horrible than you can imagine."  
  
"What is more horrible then…"  
  
"AH!! Jeanette!!!" Ranma-chan felt some latch on to her. When she looked down there was a bubbly deformed rogue holding her arm and jumping up and down. "Oh Jeanette," the girl said, "I am so glad you came! Now you can have tea with Claudia and baby Lulu."  
  
"Who and who?" Ranma-chan said. "Wait, who the heck are you??"  
  
The young girl smiled. "The most beautiful most pretty most cuddly countess Azusa Shi… OOOH… CHAROLETTE!!!"  
  
"P-chan?" Akane said from her table.  
  
"Oooh Charolette," Azusa said running towards P-chan. P-chan took in the situation, saw the girls and saw the monster running towards him. 'The stories were true!!' were the only things that managed to run through his little piggy mind as he began to flee.  
  
Neko-Shampoo finally reached Ranma-chan and tried to tell him to calm down, that it was only here but it all come out as meows. Ranma-chan heard the noise looked down and started to panic. In a last attempt, neko-Shampoo leapt up and grabbed onto Ranma-chan's chest to try to make her point. But that only caused her eyes to roll back in her head.  
  
Muu-muu realized all the distractions could allow him to easily slip up to the table and untie the other two girls. He flew over to Akane first and pecked away at the bond on her wrists until the came through. She quickly stood up and began to help Ukyo. She removed the mouth gag first and before she could do another thing, Ukyo looked at her savagely.  
  
"Tell no one of what she did," Ukyo said in even tones. Akane nodded and slowly started to undo the body bond, trying not laugh too hard at the baby clothes that Ukyo had been forced into. It almost succeeded but as soon as Akane saw the diaper she began to laugh.  
  
"It's not FUNNY!" Ukyo cried. She struggled against the bond. "Hurry up and untie these so I can pound you for laughing at ME!!"  
  
Akane stopped and look at the angry assassin and then back at goose. Muu- muu shook his head vigorously and Akane had to agree. She picked up Muu- muu and walked away.  
  
"Hey! Wait, come back, I won't pound you…" Ukyo said as they walked away. Akane didn't listen and instead made a bee line to where Ranma was standing.  
  
"Ranma," she said reaching him. "We really need to… Ranma?" Akane examined the pig-tailed girl but couldn't see anything wrong with her. Still Ranma-chan was completely frozen. She reached out and carefully touched Ranma-chan, who decided at that moment to growl.  
  
Akane stepped back and neko-Shampoo wisely leapt from Ranma-chan's chest to Akane's arms where she proceeded to hiss at Muu-muu. In the meantime, Ranma-chan was on all four feet and growling while arching her back.  
  
Akane had finally managed to control the duck and the cat in her arms when P-chan came barreling into her arms. Loaded down with three animals she started to loose her balance just in time to have Azusa reach her. The three animal went berserk and Akane found herself twirling in circles, filling the air with fur and feathers, trying to keep them in her arms.  
  
Azusa had stopped just sort of the show and was clapping enthusiastically. And then she suddenly heard the growling and hissing behind her. Before she could do anything else, a very feral Ranma-chan leapt up.  
  
* * *  
  
Many hours later…  
  
"Hmmm… look over there Tendo, is that a Hell Bovine?"  
  
Soun whipped around to look where Genma was pointing, prepared for a fight. As soon as his attention was away from the Shoji board, Genma switched a few pieces around. He sat back with a smile, waiting for Soun to turn back around and see the bad situation he was now in. But Soun was fixated on a point in the horizon. After a few moments, Genma's curiosity finally overpowered his desire not to have his cheating reversed and looked over to where he had pointed.  
  
Coming through the main entrance was a site he never thought he would see. Akane was still wearing the frilly dress but it looked like it had almost been completely shredded. She was walking with a limp and he couldn't tell if she had taken a beating to the face or some very dark blush had seeped across her cheeks to her ears. She looked like she was carrying something on her back. Genma finally realized it was his son… his daughter… Ranma- chan. It looked like the red head had passed out after being in a monster of a fight.  
  
Following behind the couple were a cat who was missing part of her coat, a duck who was missing several feathers from the top of its head and tail and who also had an unconscious pig strapped to it back, who appeared to be bleeding from the nose. Behind them came a familiar looking girl where a cloak around her body that was held in place with some rope. From the way she walked it looked like her arms were tied to her body.  
  
"A…A..." Soun stuttered.  
  
Akane looked at him. "Don't ask. Just don't ask."  
  
Soun stared open eyed as they passed him by. Only the cloaked woman remained. She whistled at Akane and Akane stopped, trudged back and helped her with her bonds. As soon as the girl was free, Ukyo cracked her knuckles and looked at Genma.  
  
"Genma Saotome, we have something to discuss…" 


	6. Act 1, Quest 5 : Tools of the Trade

Author's note: I'm sorry to everyone who got the wrong idea about this story!! I changed the description to avoid that happening again (I hope).  
  
Thanks for all the comments guys, I'm taking them all into consideration and if I use them in the future, I'll do my best to remember to credit you for it. I'm probably not going to follow every quest, just 'cause some of them really suck (especially those dealing with Flayers ha ha).  
  
* * *  
  
"Are you feeling better?"  
  
Ranma looked up from the fire to see Akane, returned to her normal sorceress garb standing next to him. She appeared to be carrying a steaming plate of meat and a cup of tea. He looked back at the fire with a shrug.  
  
Akane sat down next to him and handed him the plate of food. She brought her feet to her chest and tried to think of what to say. The whole engagement arrangement still hadn't been straightened out and now with Ukyo, there was a chance that it might be cancelled.  
  
Not that it mattered, Akane told herself. There's no way she would marry a boorish, insensitive creep like Ranma no matter how many times he came to her rescue. Besides, it's not like he thought of her as anything more than a nuisance. She was just in his way to a cure for his curse.  
  
"I think your father should be okay. Ukyo was a bit upset when she got back," Akane said with a small smile. But it elicited no reaction from Ranma. "And Cologne thinks that as soon as we clear the cathedral we can be on our way."  
  
Akane sighed and looked over at Ranma. With a playful punch, she laughed and said, "It'll be okay!"  
  
Ranma looked over at her smiling and nodded slowly. "Thanks Akane. Is this dinner for me?"  
  
Akane nodded enthusiastically as he picked up the dish. Ranma took a piece of meat and put it in his mouth. He looked at Akane and tried to bit through the meat but found it was close to impossible. It was over cooked, over seasoned, and hard like a brick. This would have the perfect opportunity to use some tact but then tact was never Ranma's strong suit.  
  
"This is horrible!" he cried, trying to choke the last bit of it down.  
  
"What?" Akane asked, trying not to look too hurt.  
  
"This is the worst thing I've ever eaten! What did you do to it??"  
  
"I just cooked it!" Akane yelled. "You are so mean!"  
  
"Mean? You're the one trying to kill me!"  
  
Akane's attempt to keep her anger down suddenly failed and her aura flashed bright red. "Ranma no BAKA!" she cried, walloping him and sending him flying. She watched him for a few seconds before she grabbed the plate.  
  
"And to think," Akane said to herself, "that I actually felt sorry for the jerk and tried to help. I mean, how bad could it be?" She picked up a piece of meat and put it in her mouth. A second later, she was desperately searching for the tea to wash away the taste.  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma watched the camp draw away from him and then slowly zoom in as he fell back to the ground. This was going to hurt. Shampoo left her grandmother's tent just as Ranma landed in a crumpled heap in front of her. She looked down at him and shook her head.  
  
"Paladin say something dumb to fiancée?" Ranma groaned. "Which one?" Ranma groaned even louder. Shampoo smiled and pulled him off the ground and into a sitting position. "No want two fiancées?"  
  
"No want… I mean, I don't want any fiancées," Ranma replied, rubbing his head.  
  
"Hmmm," Shampoo said. "Some men like many girls around them. Sure no want third fiancée?" She added blinking her eyes suggestively. Ranma paled considerably.  
  
Ranma laughed nervously, holding his hand at his head. After a moment he got up. "Well, I guess I better go check on…"  
  
"Hello Ranma."  
  
"Ucchan!" Ranma said as the Assassin appeared. He didn't know whether to run or just take another beating. Come to think of it, if he ran, he'd probably get beat up worse than if he just stayed. "What's up?" he asked, slowly shifting to a defensive stance.  
  
"I heard Akane tried to poison you," Ukyo said evenly. Then she broke out into a huge grin. "So I thought I would make you some okonomiyaki!" Ranma thought about his experience with okonomiyaki and cringed. But Ukyo just smiled. "No assassin stuff though, I promise."  
  
After a few more seconds of thinking and a rumble from his stomach, Ranma agreed and followed her as she moved away from the Amazon's tent.  
  
"He is a strong one," Cologne said, emerging from the shadows.  
  
Shampoo nodded. "But he not want to get married to anyone." She sighed. "Shampoo have no chance."  
  
Cologne shook her head. "You misjudge the situation. He will make a fine husband for you and create a strong breed of Amazon fighters. This is larger than just you, my child. We will have to make Ranma fall in love with you."  
  
"Shampoo agree," Shampoo added with a nod. She followed Cologne back into the tent to plot. So they never heard the strangled cry from the shadows nor saw the crushed Necromancer take off.  
  
* * *  
  
Akane was still sitting at the fire when Ryoga found her. She had her legs up to her chest and was gazing into the fire, where it appeared a plate of food was burning away. Ryoga struggled for a moment to find the right words to say. But before he could prepare anymore, Akane looked up and saw him.  
  
"Ryoga," she said with a bit of disappointment in her voice.  
  
"H… hi Akane," Ryoga replied sitting down. "How's it going?"  
  
Akane shrugged. "Okay," she said. "I was kind of hoping that you were Ranma. I think I made a mistake earlier."  
  
"Really?" Ryoga said, trying to hide his own disappointment at her mention of his rival. "What did you do?"  
  
"I got mad when he told me my cooking was bad," Akane said. "It wasn't too good but… but he could have been nicer about it!"  
  
"What did he say?" Ryoga asked, getting a bit angrier.  
  
"He said it was horrible, that it was the worse thing he had ever eaten, that… sniff… I was trying to kill him!"  
  
Ryoga stood. "That jerk! I won't let him say things like that to you."  
  
"Ryoga, wait!" Akane said as the boy stormed off. She stood up quickly to follow him.  
  
* * *  
  
"This is really good Ukyo," Ranma said with a smile. "I'm glad you're not upset anymore."  
  
Ukyo shrugged. "It wasn't your fault, I guess. Besides, you can make it up to me by keeping the promise our parents made."  
  
Ranma nodded as he ate the meal, not really thinking. "Considering my other choice is Akane… you're a lot cuter and can cook a lot better."  
  
"You think I'm cute?" Ukyo asked, her eyes enlarging. A huge smile broke out on her face. Meanwhile, Ranma was still consuming his okonomiyaki and was fairly oblivious to what was going on.  
  
"TRAITOR!"  
  
Ranma stopped eating long enough to see Ryoga approaching him on the right and Mousse coming from the left. He finished his okonomiyaki at the same moment they reached him.  
  
"How dare you!" Ryoga said pointing a finger at him.  
  
"I thought you were my friend," Mousse cried.  
  
Ranma suddenly realized they were talking about him. "What did I do??" he asked.  
  
"You insulted Akane," Ryoga said. "I won't stand for it!"  
  
"You're trying to steal Shampoo from me," Mousse retorted. "I heard her talking about how she's going to marry you!"  
  
"What?" Ukyo said, standing up.  
  
Akane chose that moment to appear. "Ryoga," she said reaching him. "Please listen, I don't want any…"  
  
"Shampoo is your fiancée too?" Ukyo demanded.  
  
Akane whipped her head around to face Ranma. "What?"  
  
"I don't know what the hell Mousse is talking about!" Ranma said standing out.  
  
"Well, I don't think he just made it up!" Ukyo said.  
  
"What go on here?" Shampoo said, deciding to join the group at the worst possible moment. "Can here yelling to end of camp."  
  
"Why don't you tell us?" Ukyo replied. "Mousse heard that you were going to marry Ranma."  
  
Shampoo paused long enough to realize what a mess she had just stepped into. She looked over at Mousse with an unhappy expression. "Why stupid duck boy make mess?"  
  
"But Shampoo," Mousse cried. "I thought you were going to marry me!"  
  
Shampoo looked at him with no emotion. "Why would Amazon marry dumb Necromancer like you?" Mousse's face cracked first to sorrow then to anger as he looked at Ranma.  
  
"This is all your fault," he said. "You've seduced her!"  
  
"Have you no morals?" Ryoga demanded.  
  
"Well, I guess two just wasn't enough for you," Ukyo cried.  
  
"I didn't ask her to MARRY ME!" Ranma yelled.  
  
"Course not," Shampoo said. "Why Amazon wait for man to decide? Make decision self."  
  
The group paused for a moment to process the information. Ukyo was the first one to get it. "So Ranma didn't know," she said. "It was your decision."  
  
"No, Ranma know," Shampoo said. "No say no when Shampoo ask him."  
  
"I thought you were kidding!" Ranma said.  
  
"So it is true!" Mousse said. "You treasonous…"  
  
"Where's Akane?" Ryoga asked, suddenly realizing the sorceress was no longer behind him.  
  
"What's going on here?" Genma asked as he and Soun walked up to fighting children.  
  
"Ranma got engaged to Shampoo!" Ukyo said. Genma cringed when she spoke and then was visibly relieved. Meanwhile, Soun's face started to twitch a bit.  
  
"Well," he said. "That certainly was not my fault!"  
  
"I didn't get engaged to her!" Ranma cried. "Besides none of that's important now. Akane's gone. Have you seen her?"  
  
Genma looked at his son and shook his head. "We just walked across camp and saw no sign of her. Did she say that…"  
  
"RANMA…" Everyone froze as Soun's demon head filled the sky. "What did you do to my little GIRL!!"  
  
* * *  
  
Akane shifted the burden on her back as she made her way though the forest outside the Rouge Encampment. Stupid Ranma. If he wanted to get married to Shampoo then he could just do that. But she had better things to do, like finding her sisters. They hadn't found them in the Countess' tower. Akane shuddered at that memory.  
  
With any luck, Nabiki and Kasumi had teleported to the East. And a single sorceress should be able to travel through the land quickly and undetected. She had learned enough skills for her protection. This would be fine, she had nothing to worry about.  
  
"Lost, little girl?"  
  
Akane jumped, cursing herself for not paying more attention to the road. There was a man standing in front of her. Or at least it looked like a man. There was something almost reptilian about him.  
  
"No," Akane replied, reaching for her wand. "I'm fine."  
  
The man nodded slowly and began to circle her. Akane prepared her first spell but he laughed. "Don't try that, sorceress. Fire is my specialty as well."  
  
"Who are you?" Akane demanded.  
  
"A sorcerer, like yourself," the man said. "Well, not like you. I'm not a traitor to my clan."  
  
Akane paused and studied the man closely taking in his appearance, his recent words before she finally understood. "You're one of them, aren't you, the sorcerers in the East that my teacher spoke about. The ones that she escaped from."  
  
"She didn't escape," the man said. "She turned her back on our ways, stole our secrets and has spread them across the four corner of this earth with her partners."  
  
"You're lying," Akane replied defiantly.  
  
The man smiled. "She didn't tell you about her history."  
  
"She told us that she and the rest of the woman revolted against you to gain equality. And that you hated them so much for it that they had to flee their homeland." Akane watched as the man continued to smile as he shrugged.  
  
"Difference of opinion," he said.  
  
"What do you want with me?" she demanded.  
  
He looked at her. "I want to help," he replied. "You see, we've come to learn that a woman sorceress can actually do some spells better than her male counterpart," he continued with some contempt. "So I want to teach you a spell that will be of more use to you."  
  
"No way," Akane said.  
  
"Why not?" the man said. "What's wrong with I'm offering you? I will give you a spell that will make you extremely powerful." He paused. "Maybe more powerful than the rest of those girls."  
  
Akane's eyes flashed. "Now I now that you're not someone I can trust. Who are you and why are you really here?"  
  
"AKANE!"  
  
Akane heard her name being called but she didn't turn away. The man laughed. "Very good, not turning around so I could escape."  
  
"My friends will be here soon," Akane said. "And then we'll find out who you really are."  
  
The man sighed. "If that's all you want then, my name is Herb. But as for waiting for your friends, another time perhaps." He cast a lightning smile and the flash blinded Akane. By the time she could see again, he had teleported away. In his place, however, was a scroll.  
  
"AKANE! ARE YOU OKAY?"  
  
Akane could hear them running towards her. She glanced at the scroll, feeling a deep sense of foreboding overcoming her. She shouldn't touch it. She should let her father or Mr. Saotome identify it. But something overpowered her common sense and she ran up and grabbed it, stuffing it in her pack before they reached her.  
  
Ranma and Ryoga reached her a few seconds later. "Where did you go?" Ranma demanded. "Why do you have all your stuff?"  
  
"Are you okay?" Ryoga asked. "We saw a flash of lightning."  
  
Akane looked at them and tried to formulate a response. The rest of the group, attracted by the flash of light reached the site before she could say anything. They all looked at her.  
  
"The lightning was mine," she said finally. "I wanted to try out some new spells, so I brought my scrolls," she continued indicating the pack on her shoulder, "and got clear of the camp."  
  
"Well, try telling someone first before you do that again," Ranma yelled.  
  
"I didn't think anyone would care," she yelled back before she walked away and headed back towards the camp.  
  
"Argh," Ranma cursed. "I don't know why I even bother!" He walked after her, followed quickly by Ryoga, who wanted to catch up with Akane and not get lost in the forest. Ukyo quickly followed them.  
  
Those left behind were silent for a few moments until the rest of them were gone.  
  
"Shampoo no believe," Shampoo said.  
  
Soun nodded. "Akane is hiding something."  
  
"And whatever it's not good," Mousse said. "I feel like there is something evil nearby."  
  
Genma nodded. "I agree. There are no animals or monsters in this area. They've all fled."  
  
"Shampoo will find truth," Shampoo said firmly. "Just need time."  
  
* * *  
  
Akane sat at the fire and tried to ignore the burning desire to reach into her bag and read the scroll. Luckily, everyone was putting off her behavior as the result of a fight with Ranma. And while she was extremely angry at him for picking up yet another fiancée, there was something larger on her mind.  
  
"Sorceress girl meditate? Or can talk?"  
  
Akane looked up as Shampoo sat down next to her. Akane shook her head. "I mean, I can talk. I was just thinking."  
  
"Think about Paladin?" Shampoo asked.  
  
"I'd really rather not talk about it with you," she snapped.  
  
Shampoo shrugged. "Is okay. Shampoo know you not understand Amazon life. Would not understand what Shampoo say anyway."  
  
"Whatever," Akane replied, suddenly getting interested in the ground.  
  
"Shampoo want to ask something. Sorceress make lightning today. Can help Shampoo learn lightning magic?"  
  
Akane was a bit startled but hoped she covered it up enough. "Why?"  
  
"Akane say that Amazon can learn magic, fight better. Shampoo remember story about Amazon who use lightning."  
  
Akane paused. "Well, I don't know," she said. "I don't think I'm experience enough to teach someone else about lightning."  
  
"Just small thing," Shampoo pressed. "Small spell."  
  
Akane stood up. "Look, I just don't think it's a good idea teaching you or anyone else for that matter lightning spells. I have to go," she said taking her pack.  
  
Shampoo watched her go and frowned. Mousse can by a moment later and sat next to her. "Akane lie. Not know thing about lightning spell."  
  
Mousse nodded. "I agree. But what is she lying about?" Shampoo shrugged. Mousse paused, pulling at his robe until he pulled out a small flower and put it in front of Shampoo's face. Shampoo sighed, looking at him and it. With a quick motion, she took a ladle of cold water from the bucket near her and splashed him. Mousse shrank in his robes and Muu-muu duck soon emerged.  
  
"Stupid duck boy not get message yet," she said standing up and gathering Mousse's robes with him still in them. She was about to walk away when she stopped and put the robe over Muu-muu's head. The duck, now blind, started to quack angrily. Sure that he couldn't see, she reached down and picked up the flower.  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma paced around the tent for a few moments longer before he finally mustered up the courage to face Akane. This was her fault anyway, over- reacting to everything. Didn't she get that he didn't want any fiancées! And what was with running away like that? Not that she believed for a second that she was practicing magic. Knowing her, she was blowing things up, being the violent tomboy she…  
  
"Do you want something?" Akane said, peeking her head out of the tent.  
  
Ranma jumped back and looked at her. She had changed from her sorceress outfit into a warm nightshirt. Her hair was free of the headpiece she tended to wear. Relaxed and out of uniform, she almost looked cute.  
  
Ranma shook the thought away and cleared his throat. "I just wanted to make sure you knew we were leaving at dawn."  
  
Akane frowned. So much for an apology. "I know," she said coldly.  
  
"Good," Ranma said, struggling to say more. "I wouldn't want to leave you behind." Her eyebrow arched upward. "I mean… we need a good magic caster and what with Pop and Mousse not being much help at all…"  
  
Akane started to smile. "So you think I'm helpful."  
  
"Sure," Ranma said. "I mean your aim sucks but the whole brute strength comes in handy."  
  
Akane scowled at him. "I should have known then to have expected you to say something nice. Good night!" she said throwing the flap of the tent down and collapsing inside.  
  
Stupid Ranma, she thought bitterly. Thinks I'm not good enough to help. Well Ukyo can cook and Shampoo can kill anything, so what good am I?  
  
She glanced over at her pack. She thought about the scroll and what Herb had said. Well, it wouldn't help to just look. She reached over and pulled it out her bag. She started to unroll it, ignoring the sudden dip in temperature around her. She started to read it, her eyes widen as she read the words. 


	7. Act 1, Quest 6 : Sisters to the Slaughte...

Sparks flew as Ryoga pressed his axe onto the spinning grinding stone. Next to him, Shampoo worked carefully to sharpen her spear with a stone. At the fire, Akane, Mousse and Genma sat their eyes closed in meditation as they focused their energies. Nearby, Ukyo stretched her legs and arms, moving through fluid motions of kill strikes. Even Soun Tendo was there, chatting silently with Cologne about the situation.  
  
The only one missing from the group was Ranma. In fact, he was no where to be found in the camp. He had left ten minutes ago under the pretense of hunting down several Quill Rats for Mousse to raise as skeletons. But the truth was he just needed the time to think.  
  
Somehow over the course of a few days, he had managed to accumulate three fiancées. It was a colossal mess but one that he could only partly blame on his father. Ukyo was mostly Genma's but partly his fault. He had just assumed that Ukyo was a boy, someone to be a friend with. Only now he was a she and worse than that, Ukyo obviously was after something. Ranma didn't now if it was revenge or something more but he knew that he needed to heal their friendship.  
  
Shampoo was a bigger problem. How do you tell an Amazon that you're not interested? Knowing them, they'd probably hunt down and kill you. Which was probably better than what Mousse could do if he could catch Ranma and aim well. Ranma shuddered at memories of stories about Corpse Explosions or being raised as one of Mousse's skeletons.  
  
And then there was Akane. Okay, Ranma thought to himself, so maybe she could be cute when she tried. And maybe she was a nice girl. But she was also completely violent and never listened to him and there was something going on with her…  
  
Ranma paused. He did recognize that something had changed with Akane since that mess yesterday. But he didn't know what it was, only that it worried him.  
  
Ranma balked, shaking his feverishly at no one in particular. It wasn't like he cared about her or anything like that. He just needed her to be in top fighting form for today. That was all. Without a second thought, Ranma put his thought behind him and went out to hunt a few Quill Rats.  
  
* * *  
  
"The Deformed Rogues have fallen back to the Cathedral," Hinako said, unfurling a scroll. "As you can see, the cathedral has several areas which you'll have to get through to reach the catacombs where we believe the source of this corruption is centered.  
  
"Cross through the Tamoe Highlands until you see the Monastery's front gate. You'll need to pass through the Outer Cloister to reach the stairs that descend to the barracks. We've had reports of Fallen tribes amassing in this area to feed on… the defeated," Hinako finished with a grimace.  
  
"Make your way through the barracks, with any luck you should be able to find some useful things there. Afterwards, there are several levels of what was our jail. Once you've cleared that, it's the inner Cloister and the Cathedral itself. That's where the entrance to the Catacombs are."  
  
"Great," Ranma said. "Sounds like a barrel of fun."  
  
"Shut up boy," Genma retorted. "We've been through worse."  
  
Ranma cast a glance over to his father. "Really? When?"  
  
"The point is," Akane interrupted, not wanting a fight to break out, "that it's going to be tough."  
  
Hinako sighed. "I wish I could have given you better news. And what's worse is that I don't know what awaits you in the catacombs. All that have gone before you have never returned."  
  
"Well," Ukyo said standing up. "I'm coming back so I'll let you know."  
  
Shampoo nodded. "Shampoo agree. Good fighters together now. We defeat all." The group agreed with various acknowledgement.  
  
"Then let's do it," Ranma said extending his hand from his body. "Let's show these evil rogues exactly what happens when you mess with Team Ranma."  
  
There was silence as they all looked at him skeptically.  
  
"Team Ranma?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"Shampoo like Team Shampoo better."  
  
"I like Team Ranma," Ukyo chimed in.  
  
"You would," Akane shot back.  
  
"What about Shadow Team?" Mousse asked. Silence. "Or not…"  
  
* * *  
  
Several days later, they had finished crossing most of the rouge land to reach the Tamoe Highlands. While most of them took the chance to rest, Ukyo and Shampoo scouted ahead to see how far the cathedral was.  
  
Ukyo moved gracefully across the ground, her feet leaving no footprint and making no sound. At the slightest sound of trouble, she would leap effortless into a tree, barely stopping before she continued on her way.  
  
So far the road looked clear but as Hinako had said, the Outer Cloister was probably filled with all the monsters in the area. She was about to head back when she heard something approaching her.  
  
Flipping around she opened her hand, letting the blades extend and catch the light. She was prepared for a fight but not for Shampoo to be standing there.  
  
"What did you find?" Ukyo said, still not relaxing.  
  
Shampoo looked at her. "Not find anything. Just want talk."  
  
Ukyo frowned. "Then talk."  
  
"Both know that other want Ranma for husband. But for next fight, Shampoo and Ukyo no fight for him. Fight bad things."  
  
Ukyo paused, wondering if it was a trick. But a second later she nodded hesitantly. "Okay, but when we reach the East, he's all mine."  
  
Shampoo smiled. "We see."  
  
* * *  
  
"This is it," Genma said as he stopped in front of the massive doors. He ran his hands along the ancient stones looking for clues. "Best be on your guard, it looks like the Fallen tribes have started to turn on themselves," he finished pointed at some spot of blood on the walls. "With any luck, they'll be too busy with each other to notice us. So what's the plan boy?"  
  
Ranma looked at his father with a nod. "I think we break up into three groups. Two take each side of a room, the other go straight through the center. We should be able to root out anything hiding and surround them." He shot a look at Shampoo who nodded slowly.  
  
"Dad, you and Shampoo take center. Ryoga, you and Mousse take the left. Akane and me'll take the right."  
  
"What about me?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"You scout ahead and wait for us at the next exit. You can double back and help anyone who needs it." Ukyo nodded. "Let's go."  
  
Everyone quickly moved through the doors into the main hall except for Akane who stood frozen before them. Ranma turned around and looked at her. "You coming?" he asked her.  
  
Akane didn't know what to say. Something was wrong, something felt like it was burning inside of her and she didn't want to move. Ranma took in a deep breath and walked forward, grabbing her hand. "You'll be fine," he said. "I promise."  
  
Akane looked at him blankly for a moment before she smiled and blushed and managed to get back a nod. He nodded back and walked forward, unaware that he still had her head until he heard Mousse call out.  
  
"Hey lovebirds, hurry up!"  
  
"Shut up, duck-boy." Thwap.  
  
* * *  
  
Ukyo adjusted her grip, making sure that the blade did not scratch the rock and give her away. They had made it through the main hall before hearing monsters in the next room. Ukyo had agreed to go ahead and made her way stealthily through the entrance, past the candles with speed yet stillness so as not to disturb their flames.  
  
Now she sat a top a stone gate that lined the inner courtyard. In the center she could make out a statue on a fountain and she wondered what this place was like in its hey day. It would have been a very relaxing place.  
  
But now it was crawling with two fallen tribes who had decided that one would have to go. They were circling each other, waiting for the right time to strike. Neither appeared to be ready to make the first move, despite the sermons by the shamans that Ukyo could only say sounded like a bunch of pigs in a sty.  
  
She could go back and tell the others what was going on but knowing Ranma, he'd just want to charge in anyway. This called for a special touch, an assassin's touch. Running silently along top the wall, she made her way over to where one of the shamans was rallying his troops.  
  
Targeting him she jumped quickly over the group onto the wall next to them and reached down, extending her right arm and using the katar to strike him in the throat. The Fallen barely had time to realize what was going on before she was gone again, jumping over them and running across the wall.  
  
All she needed to do was repeat the procedure on the other side. Two dead shamans, two angry tribes, it wouldn't take too long for them to blame the other. But just in case it wasn't deadly enough, Ukyo made sure to set a few traps near the fountain before dashing back towards the entrance where the rest of the group was waiting.  
  
"So, what's the story?" Ranma asked as soon as she was visible.  
  
Ukyo smiled, just as a Fire Blast trap went off. "Give it about ten more minutes and the Outer Cloister will be clear."  
  
* * *  
  
Ryoga walked as quietly as he could but the barbarian's feet still echoed in the empty barracks. It didn't matter, he said to himself. A barbarian did not sneak past danger, he met it head on.  
  
And that's exactly what Ryoga would have been doing if Mousse weren't tagging along. One look at the scrawny Necromancer and Ryoga knew that the Skeleton Mages wandering the halls would eat him up for dinner.  
  
"What are you looking at?" Mousse hissed.  
  
"Nothing," Ryoga said glumly. Just at a useless waste of space slowing me…  
  
"What did you say?" Mousse whispered, thinking that the Barbarian was insulting him by calling him nothing.  
  
Ryoga stopped and wondered if he had just said the last bit out loud. But he was sure he didn't. "You read my mind!" he cried, still trying to keep his voice low. "You used your evil Necromancer ways to invade my mind."  
  
Mousse raised an eyebrow. "Like I would need any skills to read your dimwitted mind. Eat, stomp, sleep. Foul Crows think more than your kind."  
  
"What?" Ryoga yelled. "I'll show you dimwitted…"  
  
"Bring it on, fatso!" Mousse said, reaching in and grabbing his wand.  
  
Ryoga swung his axe downward only to have it get encased within a bone wall. He grunted and started to pull at it until it broke free, sending him back and the axe into the surprised bodies of several Skeleton Mages.  
  
Not realizing that their fight was drawing the attention of everyone, the two kept on fighting. Ryoga let out a fearsome Howl, which caused several of the mages to run away. Mousse just laughed at what amounted to his terror curse. He prepared a Decrepify curse but his vision got the better of him and several mages were hit instead.  
  
Ryoga tried a few more warcries, a few Bashes for good measure and even a Stun but none of them hit Mousse. Mousse meanwhile had managed to cast ever curse on everything except Ryoga, create a bone wall across half of the barrack, and cast a few bone spears that mainly impaled more monsters.  
  
"Guys!" Ranma said running towards them. "It's okay, you can stop fighting!"  
  
Ryoga and Mousse stopped immediately and looked over at Ranma. Then they looked around them, finding themselves surrounded by corpses.  
  
"Wow," Ranma said with a smile. "We all heard you fighting but couldn't get to you until now. Doesn't look like you need us though."  
  
Mousse and Ryoga looked at each other and smiled.  
  
"Piece of cake," Ryoga said.  
  
"No problem," Mousse said.  
  
* * *  
  
Shampoo held the Maiden Spear in her hand, feeling how the weight worked. It was a bit different from her spear and she could feel the difference in it. This would be a lot more deadly to anything she hit.  
  
Looking over she saw Genma placing the decorated Antlers over his head. He adjusted and nodded at the feel of it. Ukyo looked like she was enjoying the two new Blade Talons that she wore. Ryoga was wandering around trying to get his new Assault Helm on correctly. Akane stopped playing with her new boots enough to go and help him, which caused Ranma to suddenly loose interest in the huge Aerin shield he was holding.  
  
"Incredible," Mousse said as he examined his new wand and his new Demon Head. "I can't believe the Rogues had all of this just laying around."  
  
Genma snorted. "Remember boy, that these are trophies they took from people they destroyed." Everyone paused to look down at their new toys, taking in what Genma had said. If the Rogues could defeat people who held these weapons and yet not the plague in this cathedral, did any of them really stand a chance of surviving?  
  
Genma noticed they're sudden mood shift and stood up. "Let's just keep moving," he said looking at Ranma.  
  
The boy broke out of his revelry and nodded at his father. "Pop's right. We need to make our way through the jail and we're home free. Ukyo?"  
  
The assassin nodded and took off, running off to scout the area. She returned several minutes later looking unhappy.  
  
"I can see anything but… it doesn't feel right."  
  
Ranma paused and looked over at his father, who gave a nod. "Okay, Pop, you take Shampoo to the center and try to get them out of hiding. We'll wait for your signal."  
  
Shampoo fell into step behind the fast moving druid. She was a bit perplexed by the plan. But then, she wasn't about to admit that she was uncomfortable about playing, what appeared to be bait.  
  
"Now just play along," Genma said as soon as they were far away from the others. "Pretend you're lost and I'm your pet."  
  
Shampoo paused for a moment to process what had been said. "What you mean, pet?" But by then, Genma had morphed into a wolf, which looked rather like a dog as he sat at Shampoo's feet. "Oh no, Shampoo see where this go and Shampoo no do."  
  
The wolf started to whine and laid his head on his paws. Shampoo looked down and glared at him. "This stupid plan. Shampoo no do."  
  
Wolf-Genma reared his head up to the air and started to howl, a sound so pathetic and annoying that Shampoo was forced to shut her ears. "No work," she yelled. "Shampoo no follow stupid plan!" But Wolf-Genma didn't relent and after several more seconds of it, Shampoo stamped her feet angrily. "Okay!" she cried.  
  
Wolf-Genma stopped howling while Shampoo put her spear-butt on the ground with a sigh. Then in her most feminine voice possible she called out, "Where or where is Shampoo sheep? Thought sheep go down into dark cave but Shampoo and cute doggie no find sheep here."  
  
Back at the rest of the group, Akane couldn't contain the giggle. "You have got to be kidding," she said.  
  
Ranma shook his head. "Saotome School-of-Anything-Goes-Fighting Damsel in Distress Bo Peep style."  
  
"Here sheep!" Shampoo continued stepping forward and right onto Wolf- Genma's tail. "Where"…stomp… "Shampoo"…stomp… "sheep?" Stomp. Wolf-Genma tried not to cry out and decided a different tack. He stood up on all four legs and started wagging his tail. Shampoo's expression was puzzled.  
  
"What dog want?" she asked. Wolf-Genma grabbed onto the material on her leg and started to pull her forward. "Good doggie find sheep?" Shampoo asked, thinking Genma had heard some monsters.  
  
Genma pulled her softly at first and then quickly pulled her forward, causing the purple-haired Amazon to tumble and fall to the ground. The wolf snickered a bit until he saw Shampoo stand up.  
  
"Shampoo no find sheep but about to find DEAD doggie!" she said running after Wolf-Genma with her Maiden Spear. They disappeared in the dark for a moment before Genma came running out in human form, followed by an angry looking Shampoo and then followed by a horde of Skeleton Mages, Zombies and several Disfigured following them.  
  
Suddenly Ranma and the rest of the group stopped laughing.  
  
* * *  
  
"The Inner Cloister," Ranma said as the group emerged from the dark staircase. "Just a bit further and we'll be at the Catacombs." There was a firm grip on his shoulder and Ranma turned to see who it was.  
  
"I think," Ukyo said slowly, "we should rest a bit."  
  
Turning around, Ranma saw that it was not up for discussion. Most of the group had already collapsed on the ground, taking in heaving breaths. So he nodded and took a seat.  
  
Akane took to distributing their limited supply of potions. The large store that Cologne had given them had dwindled down dramatically and Ranma couldn't afford a heal aura at the moment.  
  
"I'll go find some more," Ryoga said standing up, as if he was reading her thoughts.  
  
Akane smiled in return. "Thanks Ryoga," she said. "That's very nice." Ryoga offered a goofy grin before he took off.  
  
Mousse waved her over for a potion. As she sat down next to him, Mousse gave her a grateful nod. "Thanks Akane," he said. "You're doing very well out there."  
  
Akane shrugged. "Inferno and Fire Ball tend to do the trick but… I don't know, it just feels like its not enough. I wish I was stronger."  
  
Mousse nodded. "I understand. But it's something that takes time. There are no easy answers and if you find any, the price tends to be higher than you imagined." Akane shifted uncomfortably. "Have you learned Fire Wall yet?" Akane shook her head. "When we arrive in the East, we'll find more sorceress to help you out. Just… be careful until then."  
  
"Hey, where's Ryoga?" Ranma asked coming over to the pair.  
  
"He went to go look for potions," Akane said.  
  
"By himself?!" Ranma cried. Akane nodded slowly. "How could you let him do that! You know he has no sense of direction! He's probably completely lost by now!"  
  
* * *  
  
Ryoga walked down the marble hall, wondering where everyone had gone. He knew they were around here somewhere. He had found about twenty potions and an almost equal number of mana potions as well. Now he wanted to give them to Akane so he would be proud of him.  
  
Ah Akane, he thought to himself. How beautiful and kind she was. Too bad she was engaged to Ranma but it didn't seem like either of them wanted it. After this was over, he could take her back home to Harrogath and together they would have a happy little home with tons of little piglets…  
  
Ryoga shuddered at the thought. Stupid curse. He needed to get rid of it. He couldn't let Akane find out about it, it was too mortifying. A little black pig! Couldn't he have been a strong boar instead?  
  
Ryoga paused long enough in his thoughts to take in his surroundings. Light streamed through broken stain glass windows creating shattered rainbows on the floor. Looking ahead he could see an altar whose white marble had been covered with blood.  
  
Unsheathing his battle-axe, Ryoga moved slowly towards the altar, watching for anything suspicious. There on the table was a dead rouge, her hand still clutching a spear. Her eyes looked up to the ceiling, pain and misery etched on her face.  
  
Ryoga could understand the feeling. His homeland had been wracked by clan wars for centuries. There was no peace for them, just as there would no peace for the rogues should the corruption be allowed to continue.  
  
He was more determined than ever to restore the honor of these brave women. Mousse could call him dimwitted, but Ryoga knew more about honor and bravery than any one of them. He had seen too many friends fall over the years not to.  
  
It started to rain and suddenly the reflections on the ground became tiny pools of colors. Ryoga was a bit mesmerized by it and realized all to late that he should probably avoid them all together. Before he could stop it, the cold rain fell on his bare arms and activated his curse.  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma pushed the group faster, not willing to leave Ryoga lost somewhere in the Cathedral. At least Shampoo could pick up his tracks so they knew what direction he had headed in.  
  
They reached the cathedral and Ranma narrowly avoid tripping into a pool of water. Looking up he saw the rain falling through the broken windows.  
  
"P-Chan!" Akane cried, running up towards the little black pig huddling in the corner. Ranma looked over and groaned. They had just lost their brute strength. He found Ryoga's clothes huddled nearby and found the store of potions.  
  
He looked over at Shampoo and Mousse and shook his head, letting them know that they shouldn't let on to Ryoga's curse. "Ryoga must have gone ahead," Ranma said, gathering the barbarian's things and storing them in his pack. "But he left us some potions," he continued distributing Ryoga's findings.  
  
"What we do know that we lose Barbarian?" Shampoo asked. "Catacombs just beyond door."  
  
Ranma nodded grimly. "We'll just have to adjust our plan a bit. Mousse you come with me. Ukyo go ahead and scout, Akane stay here." Ukyo disappeared quickly, not sure if she was doing so to avoid the imminent fight or to do her job.  
  
Akane stopped petting P-Chan. "What? Why should I stay here?"  
  
"Because it's going to be too dangerous down there," Ranma said. "And I can't protect both you and Mousse."  
  
"But Ukyo can stay with me," Akane replied. "I can cast spells and she can distract the monsters."  
  
"She's right sugar," Ukyo said suddenly reappearing. "And from the looks of it, we're going to need all the help we can get."  
  
"Shampoo agree," Shampoo said. "Akane prove can fight."  
  
There was silence will Ranma looked glumly over at the girls. "Mousse," he said finally. "You go with Ukyo." Akane was about to say something more but decided that she might as well take what she could get. "What's it like down there, Ukyo?"  
  
Ukyo shook her head. "I only got a few feet into the catacombs before I had to stop. There's something, more in the core but the place is completely packed with corrupted Rouges. All I can hear is this maniacal laughter." Ranma paused.  
  
"I don't think an all out assault would be a good idea," Mousse suddenly said. "Why not let Genma and I send in a few of our summoned creatures to act as a distraction. Then we can sneak around the melee and attack the source."  
  
"That's a good idea," Ranma replied. "Okay, let's do it."  
  
* * *  
  
Kodachi sat in her new throne and watched over her dominion. Her troops were growing in strength and it wouldn't be long before she, the Black Rose, was queen of all the Rouge Land.  
  
But alas, she was a queen without a king. And all that could be scrounged up were a few pitiful idiots who begged for her mercy, as if she would ever want someone like that. Even the raid on Tristram had provided nothing but a bit of fun for her rogues. She needed someone strong and brave and…  
  
Chaos suddenly erupted on the edge of her throne room as Skeletons and forest animals suddenly charged in. Her guards where quick to react but it seemed that they might be overwhelmed.  
  
With an evil look, Kodachi stood up and strode towards the melee, several of her elite guards running towards her. And that's when she saw him. A young Paladin running towards her, sword raised, pigtail flying. He had no fear in his eyes and his aura was a bright red. She stopped long enough to realize that he was perfect before she ordered her troops to capture him.  
  
She hadn't counted on the others but they would be easy enough to deal with. Her guards appeared to be taking over the intruders at the door, probably mere summoned creatures.  
  
Suddenly, she felt something burning on her side. Looking down she saw that her left leg had caught fire. Enraged she looked around and saw a sorceress drinking in a mana potion, preparing the cast another spell.  
  
Akane watched in fear as Kodachi turned her attention towards her. She dropped the empty potion vial and quickly prepared her next inferno spell. She let it loose but Kodachi walked through it, taking only minimal damage. Before she could react, Akane was flying towards the far wall. Only her training prevented her from hitting it head on and breaking her neck.  
  
Akane landed on her feet and saw that Kodachi was still after her. The rest of the group was engaged with the elite Rogues and Ranma was no where in sight. With nothing left to do, Akane stood up and prepared to fight.  
  
"So you won't run," Kodachi said, striding towards her. "How pitiful. However, if you bow down to me now, I will not destroy you but just make you one of my elite."  
  
Akane's only answer was a fireball, which Kodachi swatted away. But before she could take another step, Kodachi found something blocking her way. It was the Paladin, running towards her with a sword.  
  
Kodachi jumped back with a laugh. "So you fight well too," she said to him.  
  
"I'll show you how good I fight," Ranma said, striking downward at Kodachi's leg.  
  
The Black Rose flipped backwards effortlessly and laughed. "You shall make a fine King for me, Kodachi the Black Rose, Queen of the Rogues."  
  
"Lady," Ranma said, "you about to be the Queen of the damned 'cause I'm about to send you straight to Hell."  
  
Kodachi smiled as he approached her. "I think not…"  
  
"Ranma, watch out!" Akane cried, moving from the wall. She saw Kodachi's movements and knew she was up to something. A second later, a cloud of green smoke encircled the Black Rose and Ranma went down coughing.  
  
Kodachi laughed. "Just a bit to make you somewhat more cooperative. The poison will keep you paralyzed until I decide to give you the antidote."  
  
Akane hadn't heard that part of the conversation and thought that Kodachi was about to deliver the final blow. She looked around, trying to find anyone that could help Ranma but no one was around. She started to panic, her conscious fighting her desire to help her fiancé.  
  
Mousse's words echoed in her head but Akane pushed them away. Remember the words from the scroll that Herb had given her, she started the spell as she moved to the corner of the wall. As soon as she had finished, she fell backwards, back towards the wall and suddenly disappeared in the shadow there.  
  
Kodachi was too taken up in her prize to see what Akane had just done. She was preparing to pick up the paralyzed Paladin and bring him to a safe spot when she felt something on her leg.  
  
Looking down, she saw two hands extended from her shadow. They wrapped themselves around her ankles and began to pull downward. Taken by surprise, Kodachi tried to fight but had no opponent as the hands disappeared back into the shadows dragging her down with her. She called out for help but the rest of the fighters had decimated her elites.  
  
So she did the only she could and started to laugh as she was pulled into oblivion.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ranma! Ranma honey!" Ukyo said running up to his fallen form. Genma was close behind her. Leaning down he examined his son.  
  
"Paralysis poison," he said grimly. "He'll be fine but without an antidote, he won't be able to move again."  
  
"Great grandmother make potion," Shampoo said. "We take Ranma back to camp."  
  
"Where's Akane?" Mousse asked, realizing they were one short. Everyone started to look around until they heard some pitiful squealing.  
  
Akane was on the ground in the corner of the room with P-Chan next to her, pushing against her arm as he tried to wake her up. Shampoo and Mousse ran up to her to make sure she was okay.  
  
"What happen?" Shampoo asked.  
  
Mousse examined her unconscious form and slowly touched her closed eyelids. He opened them for a moment and hung his head down. Akane's eyes had turned completely black. 


	8. Interlude One - Crossing to the East

Author's Note:  
  
Thank you to everyone who has been reviewing and e-mailing. I haven't had the chance to reply to most of you personally yet (new job and all), but I do appreciate it.  
  
Interlude One - Crossing to the East  
  
Mousse squinted his eyes at the sun, struggling to keep the beast beneath him steady. The situation had gotten progressively worse since they left the Rouge encampment and from the never ending sea of sand ahead of him, it didn't appear to be getting better any time soon.  
  
Mousse shifted uncomfortably in his robes, aware of the beating heat on his back but unwilling to remove them. He shot over a glance to Ryoga who looked far more uncomfortable then him. The Barbarian's home was the exact opposite of this extreme and despite his attempts, it was apparent that he couldn't wait to arrive at their destination.  
  
To Mousse's right, Shampoo rode silently, her spear attached to the side of her camel. The purple-hair amazon had pulled her hair up as much as possible but the result was a deepening red on her back and neck as the sun burned the skin. If she was in pain, she didn't show it but concentrated on staring onto the distance.  
  
In lead of the caravan, Genma and Ranma rode on, neither acknowledging the rest of the group or each other. As Shampoo predicted, Cologne had been able to reverse the effects of the poison that had afflicted Ranma. He was still a bit stiff from it and they couldn't spare with each other that much because of the heat. Still at night, Mousse could hear them fighting off in the distance though where it was over trying to regain his strength or vent his frustrations out, Mousse didn't know. He just knew that Ranma hadn't said much of anything since the last battle.  
  
"Mousse," Shampoo said suddenly.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Time to change with Ukyo," Shampoo replied and then fell silent again.  
  
Mousse pulled the reigns of his beast, trying to force the camel back towards one of the covered wagons. He managed to get there after a few minute of struggle. He jumped off the camel and led it in his hand while he tapped on the canvas of the wagon.  
  
Ukyo poked her head out, the younger girl looking relieved to see him. Ukyo had probably taken what had happened the hardest, though Mousse didn't know why. None of them understood but Ukyo seemed to be doing her best to avoid guard duty.  
  
Ukyo jumped out of the caravan and took the camel. "She hasn't said a word yet," Ukyo said. Mousse nodded and watched as Ukyo jumped onto the camel. "I'm going to go check on Ranma."  
  
"Ukyo," Mousse said. "I think we need to talk. Tonight."  
  
Ukyo paused, as if she wanted to argue but her desire to get away finally won and she gave a quick nod and took off. Mousse matched his pace to the wagon and managed to grab the side and swing himself inside.  
  
Akane was in the corner, wrapped in a blanket and blindfolded. Her hand was bound in front of her and her mouth was slowly moving as she mouthed words that no one could interpret. Mousse carefully sat down next to her and touched her shoulder.  
  
Akane jumped slightly and started to tremble. Mousse carefully lifted the blindfold to see if anything had changed. The blackness of her eyes was still there but it swirled now, an occasional color whipping through the darkness. He stared at them, looking for something that might explain the girl's near catatonic state.  
  
And then he saw it, a pattern in the darkness.  
  
* * *  
  
"You know what happened," Mousse said as he sat down next to Ukyo.  
  
They had found an oasis and decided to stop for the day to enjoy the small miracle. Ryoga and Shampoo looked miserably at the cool waters that were in the center of the oasis, knowing that neither could enjoy it without activating their curses. The rest of the group had sought out shade, enjoying the cool water. Ranma had separated from Genma and taken a position guarding Akane.  
  
Ukyo shook her head. "I don't know exactly because I'm not high enough level yet. But I've heard stories."  
  
"I saw you in her eyes," Mousse said. "Or at least a pattern of you."  
  
Ukyo nodded slowly. "It's a Shadow," she said softly. "It's a higher level spell and only the highest level assassins understand it completely. But they believe that everyone has a Shadow and that it resides in a different plane. When they summon their Shadow, she can fight like them, act like them but she's not..."  
  
"Real," Mousse finished. "So when we saw the Black Rose disappear into the shadows, it was Akane who pulled her. But was is it Akane or her Shadow?"  
  
Ukyo shook her head. "I don't know. I've never heard of a spell like that. If it does exist, I don't think it's stored anywhere but in a Master assassin's mind! I didn't teach her it, I promise!"  
  
"I know you didn't," Mouse said quickly. "Why would you think that?"  
  
"I'm the only one who would know something like that and well... if Ranma thought that I taught Akane something like that..."  
  
"I don't think he would think that," Mousse said.  
  
"But he hasn't said a word to anyone," she said glumly.  
  
"I think he's just confused," Mousse said. "Give him time."  
  
Ukyo nodded. "Thanks Mousse," she said. "You know, when you're not following around that purple-haired bimbo like a lap dog, you're an okay..."  
  
"What you just call Shampoo?"  
  
Mousse and Ukyo turned just in time to see Shampoo striding towards them. Mousse was about to try to placate them when Ukyo beat him to it, sort of.  
  
"You heard me," Ukyo retorted. "If you had a brain cell in your head, you'd stop chasing after Ranma and go for Mousse!"  
  
"Dumb assassin want Mousse, can have him!"  
  
"Fine," Ukyo said wrapped a hand around Mousse's arm.  
  
"Ah, now just a minute," Mousse began.  
  
"Get hand off Mousse!" Shampoo cried, grabbing the other arm.  
  
"Ah... I don't think this is such a good idea," Mousse ventured.  
  
"Well, you're all hot and bothered now... so maybe you do want him," Ukyo said with an evil grin, knowing she was egging the Amazon.  
  
"Not true. Just no want him to get in trouble with Assassin."  
  
"Trouble?" Ukyo said innocently. "What kind of trouble?"  
  
"When Assassin poison wrong person, that trouble," Shampoo said, pulling Mousse her way.  
  
"I wouldn't do that!" Ukyo said, pulling him back.  
  
"Ukyo do that to Ranma and Ranma father!" Shampoo retorted give a good yank.  
  
"Now, girls, please just ...oof."  
  
"That wasn't my fault! They STOLE MY CART!"  
  
"Sure they do. Shampoo think is excuse!"  
  
"Oww! Don't pull so hard!"  
  
"It's not an excuse!"  
  
"Hey girls," Mousse said slyly. "You know, there's more than enough of me for both of you."  
  
Shampoo and Ukyo stopped fighting and looked at Mousse. Their faces suddenly shifted from anger to disgust. Without a word to each other, they pushed Mousse away and right into the water. Suddenly Mousse disappeared and a duck replaced him.  
  
"He's getting feathers in the water!" Ryoga called out.  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma sat silently next to Akane, deep in meditation. The only change that was visible was the gradual shift of his aura's color. Every so often they would envelope Akane but nothing changed in her condition.  
  
Genma came over and sat next to him, watching his boy work. Genma knew that it was the wrong approach but he couldn't reach his son. It would only be a few moments longer before...  
  
Ranma's aura flickered and fell. He opened his eyes and let out a disappointed sigh. He was about to get another mana potion but saw his father in front of him. "Don't say it," Ranma said, before the older man could speak.  
  
"It won't work," Genma said anyway. "You know that. It's not a curse, it's not poison."  
  
"Well, I have to do something," he said softly. "It's my fault she's like this. If I was more careful... she wouldn't have had to use that spell." Genma fell silent. "And no one knows what's wrong. Cologne can't cure it. You can fix it. And all of my auras are useless. There must be a higher level one that could..."  
  
"Ranma," Genma said, sounding fatherly. "This is not something you can cure. Mousse already said it, this isn't a curse. Cologne said it isn't a poison..."  
  
"I think its shock." Genma and Ranma looked up at Ukyo as she joined the group. "Mousse and I were talking about it and I'm sure he'd tell you the same... if he wasn't a duck again."  
  
"Shock from what?" Genma asked. Ukyo sighed and began to relate the same story she had told Mousse.  
  
"But I didn't teach her it," Ukyo emphasized. "I wouldn't..."  
  
"Can you help her?" Ranma said. Ukyo didn't know how to reply. "Please, Ukyo if you can help her or tell me how to help her..."  
  
Ukyo was torn. Here was the man she wanted to marry asking her to save his other fiancée. But then, Akane wasn't the problem. She was a good girl and seemed pretty nice. Under different circumstances maybe they could have even been friends. And if she didn't try to help, it wouldn't help her situation with Ranma.  
  
But she was afraid too. She had had some training in this but... she was still too low level to risk a full summon but maybe...  
  
Ukyo sat down on the floor and grabbed Akane's hands. She concentrated on what she had been taught and emptied her mind of everything. She fed all of her problems into a void, let them swirl away and disappear. A moment longer she started to follow.  
  
She stayed far away though she could feel the pull and started to call out. Her voice didn't travel into the void. She concentrated, trying to feed a thought much as she had done when clearing her mind.  
  
There was movement and Ukyo felt something in her mind shift. Her attachment with the real world became fainter and Ukyo could feel herself sliding away. This was what her teachers had warned her about, don't let yourself get sucked into this void. You may believe it is only in your mind but it is real and it will take you to a place of nightmares.  
  
Ukyo started to pull away, torn with her desire to be safe again and to help Akane find her way. But in the end, Ukyo knew she wasn't strong enough. She was about to break her concentration when she felt some call out to her. It was a small sound at first but as Ukyo concentrated on it, she started to hear it clearer.  
  
It took her a few more seconds to realize that the noise was actually coming from outside her mind and that her hand was really starting to hurt. A second later she realized both things were coming from Akane.  
  
"Ukyo!" Ranma said, trying to yell over Akane screams. "Ukyo, stop!"  
  
"I can't!" Ukyo said trying to pull away but her hand was being crushed in Akane's grip.  
  
"Akane!" Ranma cried. "Let her go!" But Akane didn't respond.  
  
"She's breaking my hand!" Ukyo cried, getting desperate.  
  
Suddenly Akane stopped and slumped forward. As she did, Shampoo suddenly appeared from behind her, holding a broken jug. Ranma jumped up and hit the remained jug from her hand.  
  
"Are you crazy?" Ranma said. "What the hell possessed you to do that?"  
  
"Girl hysterical," Shampoo said calmly. "Going to break Ukyo hand."  
  
"She's right," Cologne said, examining Ukyo's hand. "It's fractured. What happened?"  
  
Ukyo shook her head. "I don't know. I was just thinking and hoping someone would hear me and help..."  
  
"Ow..."  
  
The group stopped arguing and looked over to the source of the voice. Akane was slowly sitting up. "What's going on?"  
  
But most of her sentence was lost as a rush of people enveloped her in a hug.  
  
* * *  
  
"So you really don't remember anything?" Soun asked, his eyes still moist.  
  
Akane shook her head. "I just remember the fight and then I guess I passed out because the next thing I know, Ukyo's got my shoulder and she's pulling me somewhere. Then I'm out again and when I wake up, I'm here."  
  
Genma nodded. "It sounds like you forgot most of what happened."  
  
"Yes, you were out for almost half of our trip," Ryoga said. "We were all really worried."  
  
Akane smiled. "I'm fine, I'm just very tired. And very sorry Ukyo," she said softly. "I didn't know what I was doing."  
  
"It's okay," Ukyo said, nursing her wrist. "A few more healing potions and I'll be fine."  
  
Akane nodded and stood up. "I think I'm just going to go to sleep."  
  
"I'll walk with you," Ranma said jumping to his feet. As soon as the two were out of earshot, the group returned to their discussion.  
  
"It wasn't me," Ukyo said first. "I never pulled her out."  
  
"It was your Shadow," Mousse replied. "It sounds like Akane was partial stuck in the other plane. And your Shadow pulled her the rest of the way out."  
  
"Did you get the chance to talk to her at all?" Genma asked. "Your Shadow that is..."  
  
"I don't think it works that way." Ukyo said. "At least... I don't know. Maybe I'll be able to find someone who knows this type of things when we reach town."  
  
"That's fine," Genma said. "I think Akane was right, we should go to sleep." Genma stood up and helped Soun as well, who had burst into tears over the mention of his daughter's name. Ukyo tried to stand up by herself but Ryoga beat her to it and carefully helped her stand. He blushed a bit when she smiled and started to lead him away.  
  
Cologne, Mousse and Shampoo were the only ones remaining at the campfire. Shampoo shook her head and went to pick up her spear.  
  
"Sorceress lie again," she said, retrieving the weapon. "Shampoo can tell." Mousse nodded in agreement.  
  
"Time will tell," Cologne said. "But I think there is much more to this story then is being told. Most of all... where did she learn that spell?"  
  
* * *  
  
Akane shuffled her feet as she walked towards the tents. She didn't say anything as she concentrated on her feet taking each step. Ranma walked next to her, arms folded behind his head. He didn't know what to say but he knew something was wrong.  
  
Give him a monster, give him a hell beast, give him Kodachi for Gods sake!! At least he knew how to deal with that. But trying to figure out this girl was impossible!  
  
"I lied," Akane suddenly said.  
  
"What?" Ranma said, stopping short in surprise.  
  
"I lied," Akane repeated. "I knew what was going on. I was awake the entire time. You can't imagine what it was like." Her eyes started to glistened over. "It was like here only different, warped, dark. And I saw myself there and you and everyone else only they were..." she paused. "And then Ukyo was there, only I knew it wasn't the real Ukyo. She helped me up and took me away."  
  
She looked at the entrance to her tent. "He was right. Mousse was right. They never told me the price."  
  
"Akane," Ranma started.  
  
"Don't tell my father, I'll tell him myself. And don't tell anyone else. I don't want them to know. And if you meet a man on a road and he promises you power, walk away." And before he could say another word, she walked into her tent and disappeared.  
  
* * *  
  
Morning broke over the camp. Ukyo struggled out of bed, her arm still sore. She made her way out of her tent and greeted the morning sun with a groan.  
  
"You're the last one up," Cologne said she hopped over to where Ukyo was standing. "Here, the potions were finished last night. Take them and you will be back to normal." Ukyo nodded. "And maybe you can make some breakfast?"  
  
Ukyo smiled and stood up enthusiastically. "That's a good idea," she said grabbing the potions and running towards the smoldering fire.  
  
As Ukyo passed through the camp, she realized that Cologne was right. Shampoo was chasing around Muu-muu the duck, yelling something that sounded very nasty but very foreign. Ryoga, Genma and Ranma were sparing off in the sand, enjoying the last bit of cold before the temperatures rose once more. And Akane was sitting with her father talking quietly. From the looks of it, Soun was ready to burst out in tears. Only he didn't.  
  
After a few moments, they both stood up and walked over to where the other men were training. Ukyo slowed down and concentrated on what was being said, wondering what could be so important.  
  
"Anything wrong?" Genma asked as he saw Soun approaching with his daughter silently in tow.  
  
"No no," Soun said with a smile. "We were just coming to join you."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Ah..." Genma said. "Are you sure? I mean, Akane are you really up to?"  
  
Akane glanced at Ranma for a moment and then looked at Genma intently. "Yes, Mr. Saotome. I want to learn how to fight. I want to learn the right way."  
  
* * *  
  
Hidden behind a dune, Herb frowned as he pulled the cloak over his head and placed the spyglass down. It wasn't going like he planned but the seeds had been sown. They were weak and he knew how to get to them. Even if the Sorceress did try to change her ways, the corruption was there. And soon it would be in all of them.  
  
Herb slid down the dune and to his waiting horse. He jumped on and turned the horse away, galloping off around the dune until he was sure that they wouldn't see him. Then he took to the hills, leading his horse up and down them at a speed that no normal beast should have been able to maintain.  
  
By the time the sun was a third of the way in the sky, Herb had reached his destination. Or at least the beginning of it. The army column stretched back to the horizon, a grizzly force of monsters that did not appreciate the weather and would occasionally take it out on a neighbor. Had anyone else been the general, the army would never have made it this far. But the fearsome figure in the front had more than enough power to keep them in check.  
  
Herb jumped off his horse and bowed right away. "The girl managed to overcome the side effects of the spell but it will take her a long time to cleanse herself of it. The rest are weak, they will follow in her path soon enough."  
  
"Excellent," hissed the cloak monster. "We must have them out of the picture as soon as possible. They may be the only things which could prevent my freeing my trapped brethren. Take your most trusted men and scout ahead at their destination. We will be waiting for them when they arrive." 


	9. Act 2, Quest 1: The Rat's Liar

"Hey! Wait for me!" Akane called out.  
  
It had been a slow march for days and it shouldn't have been a surprise that her companions would take off now that Lut Gholein was so close. The moment that the town's walls had emerged over a distant sand dune, they had been steadily increasing their pace. Now with it only several hundred meters away, the younger members of the caravan had broken out into a run, leaving their camels behind.  
  
"Last one there cooks dinner!" Ukyo called out, smiling as she passed by Shampoo.  
  
"Shampoo no cook for pig boys!"   
  
"What did you just call me?" Ryoga said, taking off after the disappearing Amazon, drawing his axe.  
  
"She meant all of us!" Mousse called out, trying to catch up with Ryoga before he made good use of that axe.  
  
Akane took a few steps and slowed down. She actually would love to cook dinner for everyone and now she would just happen to lose and get the chance. But before she could plan anymore, she felt herself swept off the ground.  
  
"Ain't no way we're coming in last," Ranma said as he took off, carrying Akane in his arms. Akane had the decency to blush momentarily before she began cheering.  
  
"Come on Ranma, pick up the pace!" she called.  
  
"HEY! NO FAIR!" Ukyo cried watching them pass her. She paused long enough to grab Ryoga as he tried to pass. "Move it, Barbarian!" she said clambering on to his back.  
  
"What do I look like!" Ryoga cried, without really slowing down.  
  
"Ryoga look like mule with lumpy sack on back!" Shampoo laughed as she passed them.  
  
"Who are you calling a mule!"  
  
"Who are you calling a lumpy sack!"  
  
"Shampoo, let me carry the burden of us both and lead us to victory!"  
  
"No chance duck-boy."  
  
"Ryoga, come on! We're going to lose! Catch up with them and I'll take out Akane, while you deal with Shampoo!"  
  
Ryoga nodded and took off, the light weight of Ukyo not really making a difference in speed.   
  
"WRONG WAY!" Ukyo screamed as Ryoga veered away.   
  
"Pick it up, Ranma," Akane called out.  
  
Ranma looked over and saw Ryoga catching up. "Hang on, we need to switch..." Before Akane could protest the thought he unceremoniously flipped her over his shoulder and onto his back.  
  
"Hey Akane!" Ukyo yelled as they came up close.   
  
Akane turned in time to see Ukyo hand reached out. She blocked it quickly and followed up with a series of more blocks as Ukyo tried to push her off of Ranma's back. Akane managed to get a good hold on Ukyo's hand and pulled her forward trying to unbalance her.   
  
It worked and Ryoga and Ukyo tumble, sending up a pile of sand as they did. Ranma stopped long enough to celebrate.  
  
"Way to go Akane," he said, giving her a high five.   
  
"Yeah, it looks we won't be the last ones there," she giggled watching, Ukyo and Ryoga begin to argue with each other.  
  
"So long as you're not cooking, everyone will win," Ranma said with a laugh. And then he realized he had just said that out loud. Carefully he let Akane slide off his back. "Ah, I really didn't mean to say that out loud... I mean, I didn't mean to say that at all!"  
  
Akane eyebrow twitched and the air around her grew very hot.  
  
"Ranma..." she growled. "NO BAKA!" she finished, giving him a big wallop into the air.  
  
Shampoo and Mousse stopped to help Ryoga and Ukyo up out of the sand since it was quite obvious that Ranma was going to be the last one in town.  
  
From the distance, Genma and Soun nodded at each other with a small smile. "Looks like things are getting back to normal."  
  
***  
  
"Stupid Akane," Ranma-chan said as she walked back to town. How she managed to hit the one puddle of water in the entire desert was a mystery but it was right in line with the type of day he was having.  
  
"I ain't cooking nuthing," Ranma-chan continued as she entered town. "It's all her fault anyway, so it should be her problem." She paused and realized what she had just said. She was about to continue on her way when she was unceremoniously glomped from behind.  
  
"What beauty doth enter my humble town? Her face shines more brightly then the sun and her red hair burns brighter. That I would have the chance to but..."  
  
"Hands off creep!" Ranma-chan cried, planting a well placed back fist in to the stranger's face. The guy collapsed and she turned around, finding a crumpled pile of robes on the ground.  
  
"My love doth have a bit of a temper..." came a voice from the pile.  
  
"Jerk," Ranma-chan said before taking off to find the rest of his group. What the hell! Could this day get any worse??  
  
The rest of the group was already unpacking when he reached them. A bunch of traders were surrounding them, trying to buy what the caravan had brought while trying to sell some of the local goods.  
  
"Wow, what a hottie."  
  
"Yeah look at her body."  
  
"Excuse me?" Ranma-chan said, whipping around to see who had the death wish now. Two guys, his age, dressed in desert robes and overloaded with what looked like potions were staring at him. "Are you looking for a fight?"  
  
"Woah," one of them said. "Sorry, didn't realize you were one of those."  
  
"Yeah, what a waste."  
  
"What?" Ranma-chan said. "What the hell are you two talking about?"  
  
"Well," one of them continued. "It's pretty obvious that if you're not giving us the time of day, you must like girls."  
  
"Of course I like girls! I'm a guy!!" Ranma-chan said.  
  
"Yeah, yeah. Of course you are honey."  
  
Ranma-chan got extraordinarily flustered until she realized what was wrong. "Oh, you think I'm a girl because I look like a girl!"  
  
"That's how it works."  
  
"Hang on... let me find some hot water or something," Ranma-chan said, walking away.  
  
"Here," one of the boys said, holding out a water skin. "Hot water. Good to have when you're in our line of work."  
  
Ranma-chan snatched it and poured it over his head. A second later, the transformation took place and a triumphant Ranma stood in front of them. "See!" he said.  
  
One of the young men paled considerably and began babbling incoherently. The other at least had the decency to faint. Ranma sighed and realized that he couldn't just leave them here.   
  
***  
  
"Thanks again," the potion seller said as Ranma handed him a bowl of soup. "It really was just a shock."  
  
"Try to look at it from my perspective," he replied. "The name's Ranma Saotome, Paladin level 7."  
  
"I'm Hiroshi, the one who fainted is Daisuke. We're Potion makers and sellers, natives of Lut Gholein. "  
  
"Nice to meet you. Will he be okay?" Ranma asked, looking over at the crumpled boy.  
  
"Yeah, he'll sleep it off for a while." Hiroshi said taking in a drink. "So about the whole sex change thing..."  
  
"It's not like that!" Ranma exclaimed. With a long sigh, he began to relate the story of the past few months, mentioning his curse, their adventures with the Rouges and finally the journey East, though he left out most of the things about Akane.  
  
It was strange, Ranma thought as he finally stopped talking long enough to let Hiroshi process all the information. Akane didn't seem different most of the time but then there were times that she was a world away.  
  
"Man, so you really go to meet the old Seer of the West?" Hiroshi finally asked. "Was she like all the stories??"  
  
"What stories!" Ranma cried. "What the hell is it with this seer??"  
  
Hiroshi leaned in close and began to whisper. "Well, you see, story is that she..."  
  
"RANMA!"   
  
Ranma jumped and looked over his shoulder to where his father was standing.  
  
"I'm right here, you didn't have to YELL!" Ranma yelled.   
  
"I called you at least seven times," Genma said. "Let's go. Us and the Tendos are going to go talk to whoever runs this place and see what's what. Most of the rest of them have gone off to hunt for clues to a cure."  
  
"Oh man, why can't we just hunt for the cure ourselves!"  
  
"Because it would be impolite to come here and not introduce ourselves."  
  
Ranma raised an eyebrow. "Yeah right. How much money are you going to get?"  
  
Genma looked hurt but before he could respond, Soun and Akane bounded up to join the group.  
  
"Are we ready?" Akane said with a huge smile. She had taken the free time to redo her hair and change to a new outfit. She looked kind of pretty this way, all happy and...  
  
"Come on!" she said impatiently, not realizing why Ranma was dawdling. "Let's get going!"  
  
"Why are you so excited anyway?" Ranma asked, a bit unnerved by his last train of though.  
  
"Are you kidding!" Akane said. "This is where some of the greatest sorceresses come from! I want to ask the leader where they are." She grabbed his hand and started to pull. "So let's move!"  
  
"Okay, okay," Ranma said, getting dragged away but not making any obvious moves to pull away from her grasp. The move didn't escape Soun and Genma who looked at each other, nodded slightly with satisfaction and then giggled like little school girls before taking off after the group.  
  
Hiroshi sighed and started to eat his soup. Just as he did, Daisuke shot up. "What'd I miss?" he asked.  
  
***  
  
"Oh man, this is not what I meant when I asked you to help me look for items that might be a cure," Ryoga said collapsing to the ground, holding several bags in his hands.  
  
"Well, you never know if we might get lucky," Ukyo said, walking up to the shop owner.  
  
"Look, this is fun and all but I really want to start looking for a cure."  
  
Ukyo sighed and looked at the dealer. "Do you have the cure?" The shop owner looked at her and shook her head. Ukyo motioned to the owner for Ryoga and then turned back. "Okay, do you have any saffron?"  
  
"Of course! This is a spice shop!" the owner said. "I have a wide variety of spices."  
  
"Yeah, just like the last fifty places we've been too," Ryoga muttered under his breath.  
  
"But my quality is much better I assure you!" the owner said enthusiastically.  
  
Ryoga sighed and fell back to the ground. He stared at the ceiling and tried to recount exactly how he had gotten into this situation. Here he was too damn weak when it came to a pretty face.   
  
"Ooooh, look at that scarf!" Ukyo said, pointing to a dark red scarf that was wrapped around a stone bust. "It would be perfect for Ranma-honey!" She reached into her pocket and pulled out her money pouch but found it was nearly empty.  
  
"Ryoga?"  
  
"Yeah," Ryoga said not looking up.   
  
"Can I borrow some money? I really want to buy that scarf for Ranma."  
  
"No way!" Ryoga said sitting up, instantly regretting it as Ukyo was leaning in front of him. "Not for Ranma, of all people."  
  
"But sugar," Ukyo said with a smile, "if I buy this for Ranma, he'll be so grateful that he'll have to take me out for dinner and then you can take Akane out."  
  
Ryoga huffed. "What makes you think I would want to take Akane out?"  
  
Ukyo rolled her eyes. "Come on, like it's not completely obvious you're in love with the girl. You think I missed the way you watched over every night when she was out of it. Or how you always look at her when you know she's not looking."  
  
"It's not true!" Ryoga said indignantly, knowing, full well, it was.   
  
"What about last night? In your sleep??" Ukyo batted her eyes and pursed her lips. "Akane... Akane... why don't you take off that wet shirt and..."  
  
Ryoga's eyes opened wide. He grabbed a nearby pillow and shoved it at Ukyo's mouth. "Quiet!" he said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his purse, tossing it at Ukyo's direction.  
  
"Feh," he said. "It's not like I won't get more."  
  
"Thanks sugar!" Ukyo said with a grin and a quick hug. Ryoga tried to remain angry but a smile start to peek through his frown.  
  
While Ukyo bought the rest of her purchases, Ryoga picked the rest of the bags up. He wouldn't get the chance to do much cure-hunting today, it seemed. Hopefully the other group would have more success.   
  
As he was about to leave, Ryoga paused. Did that basket just move? He started to move towards it but Ukyo grabbed his arm and pulled him away. With a shrug, he decided it was just a mirage.  
  
As soon as they were gone, however, the basket began to hope after them.  
  
***  
  
Cologne nodded slowly. "Yes of course, I understand. It was just I was hoping for something."  
  
The older woman nodded. "I think its best that you continue on to Travincal. There is a great healer there who might be able to help."  
  
"I will take that into consideration. Thank you." Cologne stood up and grabbed her staff hopping out of the tiny house. She had hoped for a better answer than this. Shampoo would be most disappointed to hear the news.  
  
"Shampoo can no do."  
  
Cologne stopped just short of where the two were. Shampoo was standing up, holding her spear to the ground.  
  
"You're not concentrating enough," Mousse said, an open book on his lap. "It says that you need to concentrate on the sky and draw the power from it."  
  
"That what Shampoo do!" Shampoo cried. "This so stupid. Shampoo no get magic to work. Not right type of girl. Better fight with spear."  
  
"Just try," Mousse said patiently. "No one can learn a spell over night."  
  
Shampoo paused and took in a deep breath. She held up her spear to the sky and concentrated as best she could, trying to feel the air and find the source of power that would let her...  
  
"That's it!" Mousse cried.  
  
Shampoo looked and saw the tiniest spark coming from the tip of her spear. But the second she broke her concentration, it sputtered and disappeared. She cursed and threw her hand up in the air.  
  
"That was very good, great-granddaughter, " Cologne said, hopping forward. "Where did you learn that?"  
  
"I found a book about Zerae," Mousse said. "And it contained some basic instruction on how to cast lightning spells."  
  
"Impressive," Cologne said. "Go on girl, try again." Shampoo nodded and hesitantly held up her spear. Cologne looked over at Mousse with a sly smile.  
  
"Nice move, trying to teach her a new trick."  
  
Mousse's eyes didn't stray from the page. "It's not a move," he said evenly. "I was just trying to help."  
  
Cologne nodded. "Well, so long as you understand she's not yours now or will she ever be."   
  
Mousse face twitched. "I'm really that bad, aren't I?"  
  
Cologne sighed. "You're decent enough but a Necromancer is not going to marry an Amazon. It's just not done."  
  
Mousse looked at Shampoo, watching as she struggled to hold her spear steady and concentrate. The desert breeze passed through the town and caught her hair, the slight movements not breaking her thoughts. She really was beautiful at a time like this.   
  
"I know," Mousse said, standing up and handing the book over to Cologne. "But you can't blame a guy for dreaming."   
  
Shampoo didn't see him leave and it was only until she finally broke her stance that she noticed he was gone. Her brow furrowed as she looked at her great-grandmother.  
  
"Where duck boy go?"  
  
"Back to camp. Come on, we need to have a little talk about Ranma."  
  
***  
  
"Where is this guy?" Ranma said, tapping his foot impatiently. The four of them were standing outside the palace, waiting for the leader of Lut Gholein to show up. But the guards kept telling them that he was preparing to meet with them.  
  
He was just about to storm through the gates when down the stairs came a very well dressed man, a sword hanging at his waist. He had a regal air to him and a very noble face that was currently mangled with several bruises and cuts.  
  
Oh crap, Ranma thought. It's the same guy I met coming into to town.  
  
"Greetings," the man said. "I am Takewaki Kuno, leader of Lut Gholein and your most humble host." He paused, suddenly seeing Akane. "And much humbler now that I have met such beauty." He picked up her hand and gave it a kiss.  
  
Akane blushed a bit and shifted nervously at the attention. Meanwhile Ranma looked rather unhappily at the scene. He didn't trust the guy, seeing how quickly he moved from one girl to the next without batting an eyelash.  
  
"Look here," Ranma said getting a bit angry.  
  
"Hmmmm?" Kuno said not looking away from Akane or letting going over hand, though it appeared that she was trying to get him to release it.  
  
"Ah, what the boy means," Genma said, "is that we are visiting this fine region of the world and were wondering if perhaps you could use our assistance."  
  
Kuno broke away from Akane's hand and looked at the older man. "And what makes you think that I, the great Takewaki Kuno, the Blue Thunder of Lut Gholein would need help from the likes of you?"  
  
A guard leaned over and whispered something in his ear. Kuno nodded after a moment and returned his attention back to the group. "Very well, there is one task you may perform. There is a pest that has been hunting in our sewers and killing some of the inhabitants of the town. Take care of it and I will reward you."  
  
Ranma's nose twitched and he was about to really let the pompous guy have it. But Genma saw what was going on and quickly grabbed Ranma before he could say anything. "Thank you so much, Lord Kuno, we'll get right on it. Come on boy."  
  
Akane bowed a bit at Kuno and was about to join the group when she felt his arm on her hand. Her first reaction was to wallop him but since this was his town, she forced herself to stop.  
  
"Ah, my dearest, you wouldn't be joining them, would you!" Kuno said. "I wouldn't dream of allowing a woman of your beauty to risk herself in a place like the sewers of this town. Come, I will let you date with me and..."  
  
"All right that's it," Ranma said, reaching them and yanking Kuno's arm away. "Let's get this straight, she's not interested."  
  
"I think she would have said something," Kuno said. "Though she would not be the first to be left speechless by my charm and handsomeness."  
  
"Is there anything inside your head besides hot air," Ranma said. "I said she wasn't interested."  
  
"Ah, I think I can answer for myself," Akane said, a bit peeved at the whole discussion. But the two men ignored her.  
  
"And how, pray tell, do you have such knowledge of her wants?"  
  
"'Cause she's my fiancée!" Ranma yelled. Akane's anger simmered at bit at the sentiment.   
  
"That is not possible," Kuno stated. "Why would a woman like her be mixed up with a man like you?"  
  
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ranma demanded.  
  
"Why, you are nothing more than a mercenary. What possible life could you offer to her? Do you have money or power or anything that matters in this world? Or are you just as you appear, a penniless fighter with no home." Ranma's anger flared but he couldn't quite bring himself to answer Kuno's challenge. "It is obvious," Kuno continued, "that you have ensnarled her in a spell of some sort." He reached over and took Akane's hand. "Do not worry, my sweet, I will free you from the bonds of this treacherous sorcerer."  
  
"Ah," Akane said. "I'm the Sorcerer... Sorceress."  
  
"I can see it now," Kuno continued, not listening to a word she said. "Takewaki Kuno, rescuer of beautiful damsels in distress brings home the jewel of the desert to be his queen and lavishes her with gifts from across the seven seas and... Where did you all go?"  
  
***  
  
"Stupid Kuno," Ranma said as he stepped off the ladder into the sewer. "I bet he's still talking."  
  
"Don't let it get you down boy," Genma said. "He doesn't know what he's talking about anyway. Right Tendo?"  
  
Soun meanwhile was still trying to get past the Queen bit. His Akane, a Queen.  
  
"DAD!" Akane yelled. "Hello, we're talking to you!"  
  
"Oh, sorry, what were you saying?"  
  
"That we should keep our voices down," Ranma said, glaring at Akane. "In case that monster is nearby."  
  
Akane smiled a bit, realizing her mistake. "Ah, Ranma," she whispered.  
  
"Yeah Akane?"  
  
"Was it really a good idea for you to come down here?"  
  
"Why's tha..." He didn't get the chance to finish. A small river of cold water suddenly hit his head from the ceiling.  
  
"Damn it," Ranma-chan said. "This is all I needed."  
  
"Ah... Ranma, you can still fight like that right?"  
  
"Yeah, Akane. Why?"   
  
A roar filled the sewer to answer her. Ranma-chan looked up and saw that Akane and Genma were already preparing spells.   
  
"It's the monster!" Akane hissed, finally getting the words out.  
  
"Well duh," Ranma-chan hissed back. She reached for her sword but it was too heavy to lift. Dropping it on the ground, she looked around for something else but it was too late. The creature had already rounded the corner.  
  
***  
  
"My love!" Kuno called down into the sewer. "Please answer me!"  
  
"Why don't you just go down there yourself?" one of the guard asked.  
  
"And risk getting myself dirty and being seen by my little dove? I would never want to put her through that trauma."  
  
The guard rolled his eyes and Kuno turned to return to his calling when came face to face with an ugly, furry face with whiskers and two yellow teeth. He let out a little squeal and fell backwards.  
  
"Kill it!" he cried.  
  
"It's already dead," came a voice.  
  
"Ah! It can talk."  
  
"No you idiot..." There was a pause and the dead rat was pushed through the rest of the opening followed quickly by Ranma-chan. "Here's your damn monster. An over sized rat! We thought it couldn't be it but after three hours of searching the sewers..."  
  
"Pig-tailed girl!" Glomp.  
  
"THAT'S IT!" Crack. Snap. Pop.   
  
"RANMA! HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET PAID IF YOU KILL OUR HOST!"  
  
Ranma-chan stopped beating up on Kuno long enough to realize that his father was trying to pull him away.  
  
"I'll kill him!" Ranma-chan said. "Let me go!!"   
  
Akane and Soun came out of the sewers last and got one look at the scene and sighed.  
  
"So much for getting paid," Akane said.  
  
"Indeed," Soun said. "Of course, you could just marry him and be a qu..."  
  
Akane brought her fist down on top of her father's head. "Never, ever say that again."  
  
***  
  
Later that day...  
  
"We're back!" Ukyo said happily as she bounded into camp. "Come on Ryoga, you're so slow!!"  
  
Ryoga waddled in, laden down with bag upon bag of spices, cooking utensils and produce. He tried to keep balance but eventually the fact that he couldn't see caught up with him and he hit one of the caravan's wagons full on, sending the packages sprawling on the ground.  
  
"You jack ass!" Ukyo cried. Ryoga just looked relieved to be able to see again. He suddenly realized that Shampoo and Cologne were there are well. He looked at them, face full of hope but Shampoo shook her head and gave him the thumbs-down signal. He collapsed unhappily onto the ground.   
  
"How could this get any worse!" he lamented at the sky.  
  
Then he heard the drums. Followed by the trumpets. And suddenly a couple of girls appeared, scattering flowers on the ground.  
  
"Greetings," said a man, whose face looked like he had run straight into a rock. "I the great Takewaki Kuno, Blue Thunder of Lut Gholein, have come to reward you for your services."  
  
"It's about time," Ranma said emerging from one of the wagons. Akane quickly followed, with Genma and Soun in tow.  
  
Kuno and Ranma glared at each other angrily. "Where is the pigtailed girl?" Kuno asked.  
  
Ranma sighed. "I really don't want to get into that right now."  
  
"Have you enchanted her as well? Or have you trapped her against her will?? Or..."  
  
"Kuno!" Akane cried. "Please, it's been a long day and we all want to get some rest."  
  
Kuno turned his attention quickly away from Ranma and right to Akane. "Ah my beloved. Only can I entrust you with this most special reward. One for yourself and one for my glorious pig tailed girl."  
  
With a motion of his hand, two servants brought up two rectangles covered with cloth. The servants removed the sheets and there were two paintings. Each feature Kuno, standing atop a mound of sound dressed in royal splendor holding his sword in the air. The only difference was with the girl, who clutched at his leg. Well, at least the face. Both of them were wearing next to nothing and in the exact same pose.  
  
"Enjoy your reward," Kuno said with a smile. "And remember that it will take but a word and this shall become a reality."  
  
Akane looked horrified. Then very angry. Then smiling. "Ranma..."  
  
"Taken care," Ranma said, cracking his knuckles. 


	10. Act 2, Quest 2 : The Horadric Staff

Act 2, Quest 2  
  
The Horadric Staff  
  
Mousse carefully looked over the document, working to translate through the words. It spoke of a power magician, a secret dimension and the way to get there. With a sigh, he put the scroll down and lay back on the blanket in his tent. In the near past, a scroll of this magnitude might have kept him happily busy for many weeks but he had lost interest in it. In fact, he seemed to have lost interest in several things after Cologne made it abundantly clear that he had no right to be after Shampoo.  
  
Mousse leaned back and closed his eyes, deciding that sleep was better than moping about it. He felt his breath start to steady and felt sleep start to talk over him. But then he heard something in the distance. It was his name being called, softly, by a female voice.  
  
His eyes flickered open and he sat up in bed. Annoyed, he realized it must have been his imagination that was just about to enter to enter the sleep stage. He lay back down to go back to sleep but he heard it again.  
  
"Mousse…" It sounded like the wind was singing to him. "Come outside, Mousse."  
  
Something in his mind told him that this was dangerous, that he should just ignore it. But without realizing what he was doing, Mousse was already outside of his tent.  
  
It was the dead of night and Lut Gholein had gone to sleep. There may have been guards on the wall but with his vision as bad as it was, Mousse was not able to tell. The campfire was dwindling and the camels bayed at him as he passed. But Mousse didn't here them, he was transfixed on the voice that was calling him like a siren away from the encampment.  
  
In the back alleys of Lut Gholein, Mousse finally met the source of the voice. A beautiful young lady waited for him there with a smile.  
  
"I hoped you would come," her voice continued.  
  
"I… I…" Mousse started.  
  
"I wanted to see you," she said stepping forward and putting a hand on his chest.  
  
"Ah, do I know you?" Mousse finally managed to ask.  
  
"Does it matter?" she asked, walking around him, dragging her hand across his upper body as she did. "Isn't it nice to have a beautiful woman saying that she wants to see you."  
  
Mousse swallowed. "I'm sorry," he said. "But I'm… I've… there's someone else."  
  
The woman leaned up to his ear. "Then where is she?" Mousse frowned and lowered his head. The woman giggled. "If you wanted her that much, why are you here?"  
  
"I heard… I heard my name in the wind. And…"  
  
"So you have a habit of following strange woman's voices that call your name," she said with a smile as she walked around his side and faced him. "I'd say you weren't be true to your love."  
  
"I am true to her," Mousse said taking a step back. "And she would be here, if… if…"  
  
"If?" the woman questioned.  
  
"If it weren't for her great-grandmother thinking I'm worthless."  
  
"But, you're such a high level Necromancer! Surely you've proven yourself in battle before. Shouldn't she fear you?"  
  
"I… I… I can't see," Mousse blurted out. "If I could then, my spells would work and I'd be able to use more higher level ones…"  
  
"But that doesn't have to be a problem," the woman said. She stepped forward and Mousse felt his legs turn to stone. She leaned forward and his eyes snapped shut. Gingerly she placed a kiss on both eyelids.  
  
Mousse remained frozen for a few moments more and then opened his eyes. The alley was completely dark.  
  
"Hey! Is there a problem?"  
  
Mousse turned around and saw a guard at the end of the alleyway. "No, no problem! Just getting some air."  
  
The guard waved his hand and moved on. Mousse waved back and then suddenly realized what had just happened. He had seen the guard. He had seen the guard in such detail that he had seen him wave his hand. Mousse ran out of the alley way into the street. Looking to the north, he saw the wall. He saw the banners of Lut Gholein flapping in the breeze. He saw the tiny figures marching on the battlements.  
  
Mousse sank to his knees and started to laugh. Then a moment later, he let out a victory cry to the sky.  
  
In the alley, the woman looked at him with a smile. "You like that don't you?" she asked.  
  
Mousse looked back at her with wonder in his eyes. "Yes but… but… how? Why?"  
  
The woman smiled. "It's a gift," she sang. "One I hope you might be willing to return."  
  
Mousse stood up and looked at her. "What do you mean?"  
  
She smiled. "I've lost something in the desert and I think that you have already found the first clue."  
  
Mousse paused. "The Hordaric Staff?"  
  
The girl smiled. "It's very important that I get that."  
  
"But… but it's the key to…"  
  
She pouted. "I thought that you would help me!" she cried.  
  
"But the Hordaric staff, why do you want it?"  
  
"It's a powerful staff," the woman said. "And I need it to defend myself against the sorcerers of this region. I am one of the few of my kind left here and they hunt me constantly. I've tried to enlist help before but… no one has been willing to help me. I thought that if I helped them first they would be willing to help me."  
  
"I'm sorry," Mousse said. "I can't thank you enough for this and I would do anything else you asked. But the staff sounds like it is too dangerous to recover."  
  
The woman frowned. "I should have known. You men are all alike. If that is what you want…" She turned to leave. "Oh, but there was one thing I did not tell you about my spell. In the time it takes from the full moon to fade to new, your vision will fade once more."  
  
"What?" Mousse asked.  
  
"Bring the staff to me and I will make the change permanent," she said. "Or else, watch you world fade from view and so will any chance of being with your true love." The woman stepped into the shadows and disappeared.  
  
Mousse ran up to the wall but there was nothing there. It was as if she had simply melted into the wall. He looked around for a few moments more before he turned away and headed back to camp.  
  
As soon as he was gone, the woman stepped out of the shadow. She smiled slightly as her body shimmered and dissolved. A second later, Herb stood in her place with the same triumphant smile.  
  
"That was too easy."  
  
* * *  
  
"Now girl, let it burn!"  
  
Akane's staff came forward and the ground in front of her erupted into a wall of fire. It burned for several moments before it finally flickered out. The old woman next to her started to cackle.  
  
"That a girl, I knew you could do it," she said, slapping Akane firmly on the hips.  
  
Akane looked down at the older woman, who wore an outfit much like her own though it covered quite a bit more.  
  
"Thank you so much!" Akane said. "I can't believe that I've already learned so much from you!"  
  
"Ah, all girls should come out East on a pilgrimage to meet their predecessors. We have lots to teach you still," the woman said with a smile.  
  
"We can't thank you enough," Soun said, from his seat on the side. "If there is anything we can do…"  
  
"I've heard you are going to Travincal," the woman said. "My son, Tofu, is there. If you could please deliver some things to him, I would greatly appreciate it."  
  
"Of course," Soun said. "We'll be leaving shortly and arrive there within a month, Mrs. Ono."  
  
"Kin, please," she said. "Mrs. Ono makes me feel so old!" The woman laughed, her gray hair bouncing in the bun. "Now girl, let's see you try that a couple of more times."  
  
Akane nodded happily and went back to work. Kin watched her with a small smile. "I remember being that young," she said. "It was wonderful to be that free."  
  
Soun chuckled from next to her. "Well, not that free I hope."  
  
Kin smiled. "Don't you worry, they never really leave you. They just go away and come back when they need something, like food or money," she added with a laugh. "But…" she said, lowering her voice soon Akane couldn't hear her. "There is something different about her. Something in her eyes."  
  
Soun showed no reaction to her words. "What do you mean?"  
  
"It's as if they have seen something that they shouldn't," Kin said. "And it's left something of a taint on her innocence." Soun remained silent.  
  
"Don't push yourself too much, Akane," he said, standing up. "You'll get too tired."  
  
Kin watched Soun walk away with a small frown. This would have to go in her letter to Tofu.  
  
* * *  
  
"I can't wait to be out of this place!" Ryoga said, finishing his packing.  
  
"Place doesn't suit, sugar?" Ukyo asked watching him pack.  
  
"Too damn hot," Ryoga replied. "Give me snow, give me ice, not all this damn sand and heat."  
  
Ukyo laughed and looked over her shoulder as she heard people approach. Ranma and his father walked into the camp, in deep discussion. Ukyo smiled and jumped up, happy to see he was wearing the scarf she had bought him around his head.  
  
"Hey Ranma honey!" she said walking over to him. "I knew that scarf would look good on you." Ryoga muttered something but Ukyo ignored him.  
  
"Yeah," Ranma said, straightening it. "Keeps my head cool." Ryoga muttered something else.  
  
"Did you find a way to Travincial?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah," Ranma said. "Pop and I met a sea captain who said he'd give us a lift."  
  
"Great! When do we leave!!"  
  
"We're leaving?" Akane said as she and Soun joined the group. "Did you find a boat!"  
  
"Yes, Pop and I met a captain…"  
  
"Who you meet?" Shampoo asked as she and Cologne joined the group.  
  
Ranma threw up his hands. "Okay, that's it. I ain't saying it again until I know that everyone is here." He looked through the group. "Where's Mousse?"  
  
Everyone looked around the immediate area but couldn't find him. Shampoo walked over to his tent and looked inside.  
  
"Not there," she said. She was about to leave when she saw a scroll open on his blanket. She leaned forward and grabbed. "Left note," she said walking outside the tent with it in her hands.  
  
Cologne hopped over and took the parchment in her hand. "To everyone, I'm sorry to leave you without a farewell but something has come up that I must attend to alone. I wish you the best of luck in your continued quest and hope to see you all again. Mousse."  
  
"He left?" Akane asked.  
  
"That's a bit odd," Ukyo added. "Even for Mousse. I mean you would have thought he would have at least said good-bye to Shampoo."  
  
Cologne shrugged. "Perhaps he found something more important," she said. "What are doing, great-granddaughter?"  
  
Shampoo had already donned her armor and picked up her spear. "Shampoo go find duck-boy. Make promise to take him home and guard him until do." Cologne frowned but one look from the Amazon warrior made it clear she wasn't taking no for an answer.  
  
"I'll help, "Ranma said. He got a look from Cologne. "He was a friend after all and Ukyo's right, something is not right."  
  
"Right sugar," Ukyo said. "Only problem is, where do we start looking."  
  
"The Halls of the Dead." The group turned and found Hiroshi and Daisuke looking at them from the edge of camp.  
  
"At least," Hiroshi continued, "that's where he asked us about first."  
  
"What do you mean first?" Ranma asked.  
  
"The Halls of the Dead, the Sand Maggot Hive and the Claw Viper temple," Daisuke said. "It seemed a bit strange, you know. Most people tend to avoid those places."  
  
"Where Hall of Dead?" Shampoo demanded, holding onto her spear tightly. Daisuke and Hiroshi decided it wouldn't be wise to refuse her.  
  
* * *  
  
"Holy mother of…"  
  
Ranma had stopped the group just short of the entrance to the second level. He could already smell the downstairs and didn't want to risk getting anyone hurt. He had taken Shampoo with him to do a quick scout of the area. But this was not what they expected.  
  
There were bodies everywhere and the walls were covered in blood. There was a metallic burning smell in the air, worse than what it had been from upstairs. There were a few skeletons crumpled on the ground and what appeared to be a pile of cooling lava. It was the mummies, the half dog creatures and fragments of other things that couldn't be identified that accounted for most of the mess.  
  
It didn't appear to have any effect on Shampoo. The purple-haired Amazon started to wade through the mess, looking for any familiar sign. After several moments, she turned to Ranma.  
  
"He not here," she said, sounding a bit relieved. "But how this happen?"  
  
Ranma was a bit puzzled himself. Sure he knew that Mousse was a high level Necromancer but by his own admission, Mousse's eyesight made all those skills almost useless. Only it appeared that all this damage was done by a high level Necromancer.  
  
"Maybe someone got here before him," Ranma said. "Let's go up and let the others know."  
  
* * *  
  
Mousse sat on the back on the camel, with the Horadric cube in front of him. He spent most of his traveling time studying it, trying to decipher the lettering on the outside to see if he could understand how to make it work. Right now, all it appeared to be good for was storing equipment.  
  
In the east, the sky began to lighten and Mousse brought the camel to a halt. That was all the traveling he would be able to do today. Crossing the desert was taking more time then he liked. Looking up at he sky, he saw that the moon had lost a quarter of its fullness. His eyesight was failing too. And if he didn't hurry, it would be gone before he reached the Temple of the Claw Viper.  
  
He pulled out the rough map that was given to him by the two potion sellers and gave it the once over to try to estimate where he was. Without landmark, it was next to impossible to tell one dune from the next. But he had been travelling for several days now, the Maggot Hive should be nearby. He jumped off his camel and stepped onto the sand, shielding his eyes from the rising sun.  
  
A few steps later, Mousse felt the floor crumble beneath him. In a moment of panic, he thought he stepped in quick sand. But suddenly he found himself on a hard dirt floor. Standing up, he dusted himself off and looked around the hole he had fallen into. It had several tunnels branching off in different directions. Walking up to one of them, he found slime running across the wall.  
  
Maybe he had found the hive after all! But where were the maggots?  
  
As if to answer him, the tunnel suddenly filled with the sound of scurrying feet. A dozen maggot appeared from each direction. Mousse smiled, grabbed his Yew wand and cast his first spell.  
  
* * *  
  
"OVER HERE!"  
  
Akane pulled her camel to a halt and turned to Ranma and Shampoo. Ranma was trying to look in the direction that Ukyo was yelling from but the rising sun was blocking his sight. Shampoo didn't appear willing to wait. She sent her camel off into a gallop and ran towards where Ukyo and Ryoga were.  
  
As she neared the area, she saw something crumpled on the ground. It wasn't moving and it must be dead. With dread, Shampoo pressed on until she reached the corpse. With a sigh of relief, she jumped off the camel.  
  
"Is dead camel," she said.  
  
Ukyo nodded. "But look at this," she said pulling something from the saddle. "It's one of the water skins we got from the Rouge encampment. I don't think it could be a coincidence."  
  
"It must be Mousse," Ranma said finally reaching them.  
  
"But where he is?" Shampoo asked. Then she saw the whole in ground. She ran over to it and looked down. Without a moment's hesitation she jumped down.  
  
There was another slaughter waiting for her below. Corpses of maggots lay strewn across most of the tunnel walls, floor and ceiling. She heard two people jump down behind her.  
  
"Oh my God," Akane said, looking around.  
  
Ranma frowned. "We need to split up and see if he's here."  
  
"No need sugar!" Ukyo called from above. "Come on up and we'll show you."  
  
Ranma, Akane and Shampoo scrambled above ground again. A few feet away, Ryoga was crouched down on the ground with Ukyo leaning above him.  
  
"What did you find?"  
  
Ryoga pointed to the sand where there were two foot sized impressions. They repeated in a pattern across the sand. "The camel must have died when he was down there and he had to continue on foot. But look," he continued point to the way the left track appeared longer. "He's dragging his left foot. He must have been injured."  
  
"That'll slow him down," Ranma said, "maybe we can catch him."  
  
"Let go," Shampoo said, already mounted on her camel.  
  
* * *  
  
Mousse limped to the entrance of the temple. He didn't know what made him feel worse. Was it the fact that a stray maggot had killed his camel? Was it the fact that he had managed to get a huge gash on his left leg from his battle with the maggot queen? Or was it the fact that the moon was now in 3rd quarter and he had only a week left.  
  
He leaned against the stone wall with a sigh. This was the last stop. The Staff of Kings was safely stored in the cube. All he needed was the amulet and he would be able to create the Horadric Staff.  
  
The vipers would be a problem guarding it would be a problem. And his eyesight was starting to worsen more rapidly now. It was only by sheer luck that he managed to get here in time.  
  
He tore a piece of fabric off his robe and bound his leg with it. It just needed to hold for a few more days. He would use more potions but his supply was already dwindling and he couldn't risk it.  
  
Looking at the entrance he prepared to go in but suddenly heard his name being called. He looked up, listening to it echo in the wind. He looked towards the desert but couldn't see anything save the fuzzy shapes of sand. He shook his head and decided it was his mind playing tricks on him. Without any more hesitation he armed himself with his wand and walked into the temple.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, the small pack of camels came to a halt in front of the temple. They jumped off their animals and strode quickly to the entrance. Ryoga leaned down and looked at the wall.  
  
"Blood," he said, pointing to the thin red line there. "And it very fresh. Shampoo was right. It was him at the enterance."  
  
"Waste no time, go in now," Shampoo said, drawing her spear and walking in. Ranma was about to protest but most of the group was already following her. He might have taken offense at the fact that his leadership had been usurped. But if it was Mousse in there, injured and fighting, it was more important to find him then who led the charge.  
  
Aura flashing blue for healing, Ranma followed the group into the temple, the sounds of battle already filling the stone halls. With is hand tightly grasping his sword he leapt into the fray.  
  
Akane moved towards the wall, remembering what Kin had taught her. With a few words, she raised her wand and let the Fire Wall loose. Several monsters were caught in it, writhing in pain. By the time the flames had subsided, they were all dead. With a smile, Akane turned to the next bunch of victims.  
  
Ryoga let out a battle cry and landed in the middle of several mummies. He slashed them to bits in two blows of his mighty axe, working tirelessly until a dozen snakes lay at his feet. Ukyo moved next to him, her arms covered with the green blood of the vipers. With a nod, the two moved towards the next group of pray.  
  
Shampoo's spear swung through the air as if it weighed nothing, slashing down anything in her path. If they hit her, she didn't notice. Her fighting was fueled by pure rage. How dare he! How dare he just abandon her like that, without so much as a word! They had been through so much and he knew that she had promised to take him home! And he just left!!  
  
Shampoo paused long enough to yell at the sky. Then she felt it, like something gently running its fingers down her arms. She almost panicked but then she saw her spear. The tip of it was sparking. Zerae had finally decided she was worthy of the power.  
  
With a smile, Shampoo turned to face the approaching vipers. Rising her spear, she waited until they were near enough and then drove it downward, sending the lightning radiating out of it and towards the snakes. They writhed in agony before collapsing into a pile, dead and smoking.  
  
The hall was clear but there was no sign of Mousse. Ryoga found the stairs down and the group ran towards it, taking three steps in one as they rushed to get to the bottom. When they reached the next level, they were too late.  
  
The signs of a mighty battle were there but this time, there were just as many skeletons as there were vipers. Mousse hadn't been able to hold them as before but he had managed to get them all before they could stop him.  
  
The group found him, crumpled in the corner, clutching on an amulet, next to the body of what appeared to be the Viper high priest.  
  
"Is he dead?" Akane said as they reached the body. Shampoo desperately tried to find a pulse.  
  
"Can't tell," she said, her face completely contorted with worry.  
  
Ukyo leaned forward and touched his lips, bringing her fingers back to her nose. "He's been poisoned pretty badly. But he's not dead." Akane looked at her. "Trust me, I can tell."  
  
Ranma leaned down and motioned Ryoga over. The two of them lifted him off the ground. "We need to get him back to Lut Gholein and fast." Without another word, they ran out of the temple. With Ryoga's help, Ranma tied Mousse to the back of camel.  
  
"Ride on this," Shampoo said giving him the reigns of her own steed. "Ride faster with only one rider."  
  
"What about you?"  
  
"She can ride with me," Ukyo said, stripping off the supplies from the two camels. "Go on ahead and we'll meet you back at camp."  
  
Ranma was about to mount Shampoo's camel when he felt her grip his upper hand. He looked over and was surprised to see the Amazon looking so distraught. It looked like she was struggled with what to say.  
  
"Please."  
  
Ranma nodded and grabbed her hand in his as it fell off his arm. A moment later, he was off, with the camel carrying Mousse behind him. They had disappeared on the horizon before the group spoke again.  
  
"Anyone else realize that its way too dark for the middle of the day?" Ryoga asked.  
  
Ukyo and Akane shot him an ugly glance. He stepped back, unsure of what he had done. Akane walked forward and took Shampoo's hand in hers. A moment later, Shampoo head rested on her shoulder, small tears falling from eyes.  
  
* * *  
  
When Mousse woke up, he found himself back in tent. Outside it seemed like it was nighttime but he couldn't tell what time of day it was. He couldn't even tell what day it was.  
  
Slowly, he raised himself out of the bed, noting that the wound on his leg was almost healed. The poison would be gone as well. He peeked his head up into the sky, looking for the moon but found none.  
  
Was it too late? He wondered. He frantically searched his tent for what he needed and quickly got up, feeling a dull pain still in his leg. It didn't stop him from traversing most of Lut Gholein until he found the alley way. Walking into it, he looked around, realizing that his vision was almost back to normal. If he had missed her…  
  
"You came." Mousse turned and saw the same woman from two weeks ago standing there. "I knew you would. Is that what I wanted?" she said, seeing the staff in Mousse's hand.  
  
Mousse looked down, paused a moment, long enough to ensure himself that this was the right decision and cast the staff forward. It landed at the woman's feet, clattering on the ground but not settled before she picked it up.  
  
The smile she wore was quickly replaced by a frown. "What is this?" she demanded.  
  
"It's a staff, a plain wooden staff," he said. "And it's all you'll get from me."  
  
Fury danced across her eyes. "Why? Why do this?"  
  
"It was too convenient, this gift of sight. And when I thought back to Akane, I realized the circumstances were all too similar. You're the same person who gave her that spell. And knowing what it does, there was no reason not to think that you were evil and the Horadric staff would be used for evil."  
  
The woman laughed. "You call the dead to be your servants? Who are you to lecture me about evil!"  
  
"I am not evil!" Mousse shouted. "And maybe I'm not good, or at least good enough for her. But I would never want her like this, not with the price you would make them all pay."  
  
Mousse turned away and began to leave when he heard the hiss behind him. "Fool," the woman said, the nails in her hand growing to full claws. "Then join your servants."  
  
The air crackled near his ear and suddenly, Mousse saw a spear embedded in the chest of the woman. She screamed in rage as she stepped backward. She reached in and pulled it out of her chest. She took a few more steps backward and fell into the shadows, disappearing from view.  
  
Mousse looked to the end of the alleyway. He could see Shampoo, barely, her purple hair and armor glistening in the street lamps. But then she started to fade from view. The spell had faded and his normal vision was finally restored.  
  
He reached down and picked up her spear. When he looked up she was right next to him, her face a mixture of worry and anger. He struggled for something to say but found himself at a loss for word.  
  
Shampoo bit her lip and grabbed the spear. Lightly she hit him on the head. "Stupid duck boy no get up until wound closed. Back to tent now."  
  
Mousse sighed and nodded his head. And the two of them walked out of the alley in silence. 


	11. Act 2, Quest 3 : The Tainted Son

Author's note: Sorry this took a while!! I had a major bout of writer's block, work overload and of course a seasonal cold to top it off. Hopefully I can get them out quicker in the future.  
  
===================  
  
Act 2, Quest 3  
  
The Tainted Son  
  
  
  
Herb screamed with rage and pain as the spear was removed from his chest. Even the monsters that followed in the hideous army cringed at the sounds. Deep black blood poured from the wound and onto the floor. But after a few seconds, the wound began to close.  
  
"It was that bitch Amazon that did this," Herb said through pained breath. "I'll make her pay for this!"  
  
A black robed hand reached out and carefully touched the open wound. Herb screamed in pain as thin tendril of smoke left his chest.  
  
"Rest now," the horrific voice of his master hissed. "Mint will take care of them. Lime you will go ahead and seek the lesser evil that resides in the deserts of Lut Gholeim. We will need his help in our journey."  
  
With small bows, Lime and Mint quickly took off, melting into the shadows.  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma looked up at the sky, enjoying the early night. Had it not been for the unnatural circumstances behind the eclipse, he might have been impressed with the length of the eclipse. But his father and Cologne seemed worried and had been talking with some of the village elders ever since they returned.  
  
Mousse and Shampoo had been silent ever since she went out to look for him. They wanted to talk to Cologne first before they told anyone else what had happened. Akane was off studying with that sorceress crone Kin and Ukyo was busy cooking dinner. The only one left was Ryoga.  
  
With a smile, Ranma jumped up and went to find Ryoga. He needed a good fight to take his mind off things. But before he could get across the camp, Hiroshi and Daikasu caught him by the arm.  
  
"Hey Ranma!" Daikasu said. "How are you doing?"  
  
"Fine," Ranma smiled. Well, these guys were better conversationalists that Ryoga anyway.  
  
"Great!" Hiroshi replied. "Listen, we wanted to ask you something."  
  
"Sure!" Ranma replied. Before he could react, Daikasu whipped out a bucket of cold water and splashed Ranma with it.  
  
"Okay," Daikasu asked. "Which one of us would you rather go out with?"  
  
"Me right?" Hiroshi said. "I'll get you a great dinner at the inn…"  
  
"Don't be stupid, she wants to go out with me. I look twice as good as you ever could."  
  
Ranma-chan seethed for a little bit. Apparently, she had not explained clearly what her curse was. She cracked her knuckles and decided to make sure they understood this time around.  
  
* * *  
  
Akane held up her hands and cast Fire Wall again, surprised at the ferocity of it. As soon as it faded she turned to her teacher and smiled. The older woman nodded sternly.  
  
"Very good, your control has improved greatly. It be perfectly honest, there's very little left I could teach you."  
  
"I've already learned so much," Akane said, bowing deeply. "I can't thank you enough."  
  
Kin nodded. "Well, the real test will come when you go out to fight again. Akane…"  
  
"Yes?" Akane asked, a smile on her face.  
  
Kin looked at her and shook her head. "Never mind dear. Go find your father," she said. Akane nodded enthusiastically and dashed out of the tent. Kin sighed as she disappeared. There was something haunting that girl.  
  
Akane was only about three steps out the door when she felt someone grab her arm. She whipped around quickly and found Mousse staring at her. Akane let out a little sigh. "I figured you would show up sooner or later."  
  
"Then you know we need to talk." Akane nodded slowly. The two of them started walking.  
  
"So, he offered you the spell," Mousse said suddenly. "What did he ask in return?"  
  
Akane stopped quickly. "Nothing. He never asked for anything from me." She looked at him. "What did he offer you?"  
  
Mousse laughed a bit. "It's not important now." They started walking again, passing by the open market. Though it was late at night, there was still some activity, mostly from cloth and spice traders make the air ripe with exotic smells.  
  
"It's strange though," Mousse said. "I don't understand why they would give you something freely. It seems against what they tried with me."  
  
"Do you think the others are in danger?" Akane asked.  
  
"It would seem only natural," he said. "But we know they exist now so everyone will be on their guard."  
  
* * *  
  
Ryoga rounded the next corner and found himself facing another dead end. With a slow curse he turned back the way he came and tried to retrace his steps. Not that it would matter. He could never find his way back.  
  
If he just had a sense of direction, then this would never happen. At least there were four walls to trap him inside though that had hardly stopped him when he had wandered out of Harrogath.  
  
He wondered how they were all doing up there. It had been the dead of winter when he left ten years ago and they were preparing to battle. He remembered want to join them but his father had told him he was too young.  
  
Ryoga knew the truth. He would just get lost before they even got to the battlefield. He was always getting left behind with his mother to help 'hold down the fort'. His father had loved his son too much to tell him the truth.  
  
Ryoga was cursed. He was cursed from the day he was born. And while he always maintained the idea that he ran away from home though he really knew that he had just gotten lost when they left the front gate open.  
  
"Are you lost?"  
  
Ryoga drew out his big battle axe at the sound. Turning he saw a small child, now quivering in the shadows. Quickly he put his axe away.  
  
"Sorry," Ryoga said, laying a heavy hand down on the little boy.  
  
The boy quivered some more and then looked up. " 'Sokay," he said, sniffling a bit. "You just looked lost. I'm lost too. Do you know where the palace is?"  
  
Ryoga sighed. "I saw it but… look kid, I'm not going to be able to help you. I'm not good with directions."  
  
The little boy looked at him with a smile. "My mommy used to help me to help me when I needed to go somewhere. Only now, she's lost in the palace cellar."  
  
"Really? Oh, I really wish I could help but like I said, I…"  
  
"Just try," the little kid said softly. "I know you'll find the way."  
  
Ryoga smiled and started walking. Well the sooner they got this over with the better. After all, a couple of rounds around the block would prove to this kid that following him would only get them even more hopelessly lost.  
  
"Here we are!"  
  
Ryoga stopped and blinked. Sure enough, there was the palace. The kid looked at him with a big smile. "I told you you'd find it."  
  
"But… but…" Ryoga started.  
  
"See, mom showed me how to always find the way to where I wanted to go. And if you help me, I'll teach you too."  
  
Ryoga paused and looked down that the little kid. Now he may not have been the sharpest knife in the drawer but he was in no way stupid enough to ignore what Mousse had said about someone who would make an offer too good to refuse.  
  
"I think," Ryoga said slowly reaching for his axe, "that we should go back to camp and get a few of my friends to help us look."  
  
"Why would we do that?" the little boy said, seeing Ryoga's hand moving. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Just stay right there," Ryoga said, trying not to sound too nervous. You're crazy! This is just a little boy. But if Mousse was right…  
  
"I don't understand," the little boy said. "I was just trying to help… you…" the last two words were drawn out as the little boy's voice turned to pure venom.  
  
A moment later, Ryoga realized he had been right. A moment after that, he was really starting to wish he hadn't been.  
  
* * *  
  
Ukyo carefully tested the water before adding the final ingredients. This would show Ranma-honey that she was the best fiancée. She knew how much the boy loved it eat.  
  
She walked over to her chest of supplies to get some more herbs when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. She didn't pause but walked straight towards the edge of the tent where her spatula lay.  
  
In the blink of an eye, Ukyo had her weapon in hand and was facing the other direction with the deadly instrument pointed at…  
  
A sack of potatoes?  
  
What the… Ukyo thought. Carefully she began to circle the bag, wondering if this was what Mousse had warned them about. Maybe it was a sack of never-ending potatoes so she could make dinner for Ranma for the rest of her life.  
  
Yeah, like that was what she really wished for.  
  
Carefully, she poked the bag with her spatula. Much to her surprise it groaned. Convinced that it was cursed, Ukyo prepared to strike it but before she could move, it glomped her.  
  
Shampoo chose that moment to walk in. On the ground, she saw Ukyo wrestling with what appeared to be a sack of potatoes. Shampoo smiled.  
  
"Have problem, Spatula girl?"  
  
"GET IT OFF!!" Ukyo cried.  
  
Shampoo walked over and effortlessly picked up the sack. "Shampoo think Ukyo hear too many scary sto… OOF."  
  
The bag twisted from Shampoo's hands and landed on the ground. A second later, a head popped out of the top. A blonde hair girl laughed.  
  
"Ukyo! I've missed you!"  
  
Ukyo got her spatula off the ground and pointed it at the sack. "Tsubasa Kurenai!!! I swear I'll kill you this time for real!"  
  
"Ooooh… Spatula girl have girl friend?" Shampoo said. "So why chase after Ranma all time?"  
  
"THAT IS NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!" Ukyo said pointing at the sack.  
  
"But Ukyo…" Tusbasa disappeared back into the disguise and the sack began to sob.  
  
"Now Ukyo hurt sack feeling," Shampoo said. She stopped and repeated the last phrase to herself, trying to see if it made any sense the next time around.  
  
"Look, just don't get involved," Ukyo said to Shampoo. "I had enough problem getting rid of…"  
  
There was a wail. Ukyo and Shampoo both looked at the sack. The sack shook its head. "As hurtful as what you were about to say was…"  
  
The wail continued. It began to fill the room. And they suddenly realized that it wasn't a wail of lament or sorrow. But one of pain and misery.  
  
Without a moment's hesitation, Ukyo and Shampoo took off, following the sound. Eventually they came up to the side of the palace. It appeared to be deserted but Ukyo and Shampoo never let down their guard as they began to round the corner to get to the front entrance.  
  
With weapon's drawn they prepared to attack but were surprised to find both Mousse and Akane reading to cast spells in their direction. With a strangled cry, Shampoo and Ukyo leapt out of the way as a fireball and a bone spear came heading straight towards them.  
  
"Sorry!" Akane yelled as she ran over to them.  
  
"Oh my dear Shampoo!" Mousse said grabbing Ukyo and hugging her close. "I can't believe I almost hit you!"  
  
"Dumb duck boy not hit side of barn," Shampoo said, wrenching him away from Ukyo.  
  
"So you heard it too?" Akane asked as she helped Ukyo to her feet.  
  
"I think we all heard it," Ranma-chan said as she hit the ground next to them. "But I don't know where it came from. Let's fan out and search around the pala…"  
  
"Pig-tailed girl!" Glomp.  
  
"This is not a good time Kuno," Ranma-chan said, firmly planting a foot into his face.  
  
"But," he said through a slightly smashed mouth, "I thought I heard you cry out in despair over our not being together."  
  
Ranma-chan threw up her hand in disgust and belted Kuno into the wall. As he slumped down to the ground, he looked up. "Ah, Akane Tendo. I thought I heard you cry out in despair over our not being together."  
  
The group stared at Kuno for a moment longer before turning away to follow Ranma's plan. Mousse and Shampoo headed off in one direction, Ranma-chan and Akane move in the opposite direction while Ukyo moved to the roof of the surrounding building to get a better glimpse of what was going on.  
  
"Hey Ranma," Akane said. "Where's Ryoga?"  
  
Ranma-chan snorted. "Probably lost somewhere in…"  
  
Ukyo cried out. Ranma-chan looked up and saw her pointing. She moved quickly over towards a shaded area near the stairs leading to the palace. She saw the walls first. A thin red liquid was splattered on them.  
  
"Akane, stay back!" Ranma-chan cried, afraid of what she would see next. There was a long pause.  
  
"Ranma?" Akane said after a few moments of silence. Shampoo and Mousse stopped right next to her.  
  
"Go get Cologne, now."  
  
* * *  
  
The snow had fallen early this year and heavily. Ryoga's little feet were completely buried as he tagged along beside his mother. He had a firm grip on her fur coat so that he wouldn't get lost. It was hard because he was constantly being jostled by the crowd.  
  
Suddenly his mother was gone and Ryoga was in the middle of the market without her. He cried out a few times but no one was paying attention to him. He started to walk away from them, knowing that this was exactly what his parents had told him not to do.  
  
He wandered into a back alley. It appeared to be a dead end, save for a door at the far left of it. Carefully he walked towards there and pushed it open with his little hand.  
  
The smell of incense hit him first, overwhelming his senses. He tried to take in the environment but it was just a swirl of colors mixed with the smoke from the incense.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
Ryoga jumped. He looked over to where the voice was coming from. There was a woman seated upon several cushions.  
  
"Are you lost little boy?"  
  
* * *  
  
Cologne carefully tied the bandage. "I have not seen damage like this in many year," she said softly. "It's as if he tried to face a horde of tigers by himself. I don't have the supplies to…"  
  
"We can help."  
  
Cologne turned and saw Ranma's two friends, Hiroshi and Daikasu. They slowly began to empty their pockets of potion vials, herbs and several indescribable animal parts. Cologne smiled slowly and began to sift through them.  
  
"You boys have a lot of good things here," Cologne said. "But there's something missing."  
  
"Tell me what it is," Ranma demanded. "I'll go get it."  
  
"I need the fang of a Claw Viper," she said.  
  
"We saw those," Akane said. "It's the last place we went when we were looking for Mousse."  
  
"I remember that," Mousse said. "I don't know how many of those things are left living though."  
  
"We'll find one," Ranma said.  
  
* * *  
  
"Are you lost little boy?"  
  
Ryoga ran away and hid behind a table on the other side of the room. The old woman chuckled. "I can still see you."  
  
Ryoga peeked out from his hiding spot. Slowly, he walked towards the woman until he could see that her eyes were clouded over by blindness. The woman laughed.  
  
"Well, I can tell that you are there anyway," she said. "So do you need my help?"  
  
Ryoga shook his head and said no.  
  
"Are you sure?" she smiled. "What about getting the perfect gift for the chieftain's daughter? That's why you were shopping today isn't it."  
  
Ryoga's face filled with awe. "Can you read minds?"  
  
The woman smiled. "Something like that. I can see your future. And my dear little Ryoga, your future is very troubled indeed."  
  
* * *  
  
"Here," Ranma said, still completely out of breath. He had run the rest of the way back, leaving most of the group in his dust. "We brought as many as I could find."  
  
"Excellent," Cologne said taking them. She crushed them into a powder using a mortar and pestle and then added them to the cauldron that was being stirred by Hiroshi and Daikasu. "This should do it."  
  
There was a long pause. "I don't understand… it should have worked." She looked into the cauldron at the bubbling liquid.  
  
"What if you added flour?" Daikasu asked. Cologne paused. "We use that to thicken up our potions sometimes."  
  
"Yes," Cologne said. "That might work. But where are we going to get flour in the middle of the night."  
  
"Ask and ye shall receive," Kuno said as he joined the group. He shot an angry glance at Ranma. "Not for you but because he appears to be the friend of Akane Tendo." Kuno snapped his fingers and a servant took off towards the palace.  
  
"You found him by the palace?" Kuno asked. Ranma nodded slowly. "Then I will have to investigate this myself. My servant will return shortly."  
  
* * *  
  
"Ryoga, your future is very troubled indeed."  
  
Ryoga climbed on a pillow next to the woman. "How did you know my name?"  
  
"I know a lot of things Ryoga," she said. "I know that you are covered with a taint that no one can see but which causes you to lose your way often. But while you get lost in the physical world, you're heart and soul must never stray from goodness. Someday, that will mean more than you can imagine."  
  
"Will daddy be proud of me?"  
  
"Oh yes, as will your mother and the rest of your tribe. And the young girl you like so much."  
  
Ryoga blushed. "Will I get to fight monsters?"  
  
"You'll fight so many of them," the woman said. "But you won't fight alone. But sometimes, the greatest monster will be the ones you can't even see."  
  
"Ryoga!"  
  
Ryoga turned, hearing his mother's voice. He jumped down off the cushion and started to walk away but stopped. Turning back, he ran to the old woman and gave her a kiss on the cheek.  
  
She laughed. "Be careful, my boy. And remember that you are never truly lost to the ones who love you. Only… temporarily misplaced."  
  
Ryoga jumped down and headed towards the door out into the bright sunlight. It blinded him and he turned to return to the room he had just left. But there was only a stone wall. Had he gotten that lost already?  
  
"Ryoga…"  
  
He heard her voice again and ran towards the light, to where he could see the silhouetted form of his mother. "Ryoga… come home…"  
  
* * *  
  
"Ryoga? Ryoga can you hear me?"  
  
Akane gripped his hand tighter. "Please Ryoga wake up."  
  
Ranma sat crouched next to her. Mousse and Shampoo kept watch at the door waiting for Ukyo to return with some broth. "Did it work?" Ranma asked tentatively.  
  
Akane shook her head slowly. "I don't know." She reached down and lay two fingers on the green paste that had been spread across Ryoga's wounds. It had harden since they placed it there.  
  
Ryoga moaned slightly at the touch causing Akane to bring her hand back quickly. "Ryoga?" she asked.  
  
"Ryoga!" Ranma said getting a firm grip on Ryoga's shoulder. "Come on man, wake up."  
  
"…just a few more minutes, mom," he said softly.  
  
Ranma and Akane smiled at each other. Cologne hopped over and looked at the green shell. Carefully she pulled it back, revealing pink but healing skin. "He'll be fine," she said.  
  
"Hey, is there any more of that stuff," Ukyo said as she reached the tent. " Cause we're going to need a whole lot of it," she finished, dumping Kuno's battered body onto the ground. 


	12. Act 2, Quest 4 : The Arcane Santuary

Act 2, Quest 4  
  
The Arcane Sanctuary  
  
With a shake of head, Cologne rejoined the group. "The wounds are not serious, he'll live."  
  
"What did it to him?" Ranma asked.  
  
"It's the same creature that attacked Ryoga," Cologne said. "And according to Kuno, it took out most of his royal guard as well."  
  
"The vile cur," Kuno said standing up and joining them. "I will smite him from my…" He suddenly collapsed to the floor. Cologne stood behind him with her staff.  
  
"He still need to recover," Cologne said, lowering her staff. "And you will need to rid the castle of this fiend yourselves. Something about this… it does not feel right. But then, things have not felt right since we left the Rogue encampment. I feel as if we are being watched all the time."  
  
"Is in great grandmother head," Shampoo said. "No one watch. Shampoo would have caught."  
  
"Of course, my dear," Cologne said. "But…"  
  
Akane and Ukyo burst into the tent. "Okay, we managed to keep everyone clear of the palace. Mousse is standing guard."  
  
"Then let's go."  
  
The assembled group turned and saw Ryoga dressed in full battle regalia, holding his huge axe.  
  
"Ah, Ryoga man," Ranma said walking over to him. "I think you should probably sit this one…" Ranma trailed off under the glowering gaze of the barbarian.  
  
"I have a score to settle," Ryoga said. "And you are not getting in my way." Ranma's aura started to flicker red and all signs pointed to a brawl.  
  
But thankfully Akane stepped in between them. "That's good Ryoga," she said turning to him and getting his attention away from Ranma. "Why don't you and I pair up and you can cover me when I cast spells."  
  
Ryoga's anger suddenly faded and he was left looking at her. "Ah… ah… yeah, Akane that would be great."  
  
Ranma wanted to say something but he knew that Akane had really just saved them all from a bad situation. So instead he turned back to Shampoo. "Okay, it's you and me, Shampoo. And Ukyo'll guard Mousse."  
  
"Great," Ukyo said drolly.  
  
"Is okay with Shampoo," she said with a smile.  
  
Akane glared over at Ranma and you could almost feel the lightning bolts flash between their eyes. But she just shrugged and grabbed Ryoga's arm. "Come on, let's get going Ryoga."  
  
* * *  
  
Mousse watched the crowd as best he could (they were pretty much a blur from here). Suddenly, he saw a small figure break from the crowd. He stuck his foot out.  
  
"Woah there," Mousse said, catching the small child on his leg. "Where do you think you're going?"  
  
The boy looked up and him and suddenly realized who had caught him. "Woah, you're a Necromancer, aren't you?"  
  
Mousse did his best to look menacing and ghostly. "I am."  
  
"Cool!" The kid said. It felt like he wanted to say more but his mother suddenly appeared and scooped him up.  
  
"Get away from him," she cried. "Don't you know that Necromancers are merely mindless zombies that follow their shadow masters and do as they are commanded."  
  
"That's not even…" Mousse said.  
  
"Mousse!" His head snapped around and he could make out a purple haired amazon headed his way.  
  
"Shampoo!" he said, slowly moving away from his post and heading right towards her. As soon as he reached her, he quickly fell into place behind her.  
  
"Mousse keep people back and open door."  
  
"Anything you desire," he said.  
  
Mousse walked over to the palace and opened the main door, letting the group in. As he went to close to door, he swore he could almost make out that mother standing with her hands on her hips, telling her son "I told you so."  
  
* * *  
  
The harem was in complete disarray. Carefully, Ranma moved forward with Shampoo closely behind. They carefully pushed at the mangled bodies, looking for any survivors but finding none. Considering the walls were almost red with blood, it was hardly a surprise.  
  
"They didn't stand a chance," Ranma said.  
  
"Shampoo no understand," she said. "Why kill no fighting girls?"  
  
Suddenly, he heard the sound of jingling bells. Turning around quickly, he could almost make out a small woman in veils passing by the hallway door. Looking over to Shampoo he saw her nod slowly. Yes, she had seen that too.  
  
Ranma looked around and pointed to a side entrance. He motioned that to Shampoo and she nodded, heading off to the side. Ranma drew his sword and carefully stepped towards the hall.  
  
Cautiously he stuck his head out of the door, looking down the hall. He saw no sign of danger or the girl to the right but when he turned his head to the left, he saw her and heard her sweet laughter as it danced down the hall.  
  
Now any sensible man would have realized that the sole survivor of a massacre would probably not be running around the scene of the crime, let alone laughing. But as countless bad horror movies have proven, common sense is rarely an issue in a situation like this.  
  
Therefore Ranma followed the sound, increasing his pace and leaving most of his caution in the wind. Soon one hallway branched into several and even if he tried Ranma would not be able to find his way back now. All he could do was follow the girl's trail.  
  
After several minutes of running, Ranma had to stop to catch his breath. He put his hands on his knees and kept watch on the hallway in front of him, hoping the girl would double back.  
  
Instead, he heard a noise behind him and though he turned around as quickly as he could, all he could glimpse was the vanishing form of the mystery girl. Wait a minute, he thought to himself, how did she behind me?  
  
He walked away from where he had just seen her to the corner of the hallway he had originally been heading for. As he made the right turn, he saw that the hallway ended in a dead end.  
  
Ranma's brows lowered. Something very odd was going on. He turned and ran, down the hall towards the place he had last seen the girl. As he rounded the corner there was a resounding clash of steal that sent Ranma reeling backwards.  
  
When he finally regained his sense, Ranma realized what he had just run into. "Shampoo!"  
  
"Ranma!" she said at the same time. "Shampoo thought you strange girl. Ranma see strange girl come this way?"  
  
"No," Ranma said. "And I have a feeling we wont be finding her."  
  
"I'm right here."  
  
Turning, they saw a small girl dressed in veils, long hair in a high ponytail. She holding something in her hands and before Ranma could do anything, she threw it at them.  
  
A sopping Ranma-chan turned to the girl with anger. "What didya do that for?" she demanded. But the little girl just smiled.  
  
Then Ranma-chan heard it. A soft sound that she wished she couldn't hear but that penetrated the core of her soul. Carefully she started to turn around, stuttering as she did. "Ca..ca…ca…"  
  
* * *  
  
Ryoga and Akane walked down the halls, on alert as they held onto their weapons tightly in their hands.  
  
"I don't see why we split up," Akane said as they walked. "I mean, it would make so much more sense to stay together and attacked this as a group."  
  
"We didn't know where it was," Ryoga replied. "It would take three times as long to search the place if we didn't split up."  
  
Akane nodded but managed to continue pouting. She didn't like this idea at all. If this creature had managed to defeat both Ryoga and Kuno's army then two people were hardly going to be able to stand up to it. Stupid Ranma, this was his fault. He probably just wanted to be alone with that purple-haired bimbo. Not that Akane cared. Really, why would she care if that dumb…  
  
"Akane!" Ryoga called out as he leaned against the wall. But he was too tired and his voice didn't penetrate her internal thinking. She continued down the hall and disappeared around a corner.  
  
Ryoga sighed and tried to catch his breath. Maybe Ranma had been right. Maybe he should have stayed back in the tent. He snorted. Like Ranma would ever be right about anything. There was nothing in this place that Ryoga couldn't ha…  
  
"Hello again."  
  
Ryoga looked down and suddenly pushed back into the wall as hard as he could, almost trying to melt into it. It was the same little boy from outside the palace.  
  
"Go… go away," Ryoga said, trying to wield his axe in a menacing way.  
  
The little boy laughed, the sound echoing down the hall. Ryoga grimaced at the noise.  
  
"Ryoga? Are you there?"  
  
Ryoga's eyes widened. Akane. Akane was coming back this way. Suddenly any fear he had for himself was replaced with what might happen to her. Turning back to the small boy, he gripped his axe and got ready to strike.  
  
But the boy shook his head and before Ryoga could reach, threw a gourd of cold water on him. Ryoga felt his body shrink and revert to pig form. He quickly nosed his way out of the clothes. He saw the little boy staring at him, smacking his lips hungrily.  
  
Realizing he was about to be a pork sandwich, P-chan bolted running down the hallway and, ultimately, right into Akane's arms.  
  
"P-chan! What are you doing here?"  
  
"Can I have my pet back?" the little boy said as he ran up to meet them.  
  
Akane paused and looked at the boy in front of her. The image swirled and suddenly Akane saw him for what he really was. "Stay back," she said holding out her staff.  
  
Ryoga looked up at her, glad she had seen through the disguise. What Ryoga didn't realize was that Akane was not seeing the same little innocent boy that he saw, but rather the creature's true form.  
  
"But, please…" the little boy whimpered. Tears started to form around his eyes.  
  
"Don't bother with the act," Akane said. "I can see you for what you are."  
  
The boy frowned. Suddenly, his form melted away and Mint appeared in his human form. "What do you see?"  
  
Akane gripped her wand tighter. For her, he hadn't changed at all. "A demon, with claws and sharp teeth. But you don't scare me."  
  
Mint smiled. "You're the one then. Herb mentioned that he managed to get to one of you. I guess the side effect of us being able to see things through your eyes is that you can see us for what we are."  
  
Akane's resolve wavered. "See through my…" Then it suddenly made sense. The way the bad guys always seemed to know where they were. How they knew what to offer Mousse to make him play along. The reason why Cologne and Kin were always so ill at ease around her. They had been watching everything through her since the day she cast that spell.  
  
"Oh no," she said softly. Her wand dropping. P-chan squealed, trying to get her attention again. But Akane was starting to cry. "I'm the reason…"  
  
"That's right," Mint said walking slowly towards her. "You betrayed them all. We know everything about them. What they want and desire. What they fear. And we can kill them off.  
  
"Who are you?" Akane demanded, though her voice cracked under her tears.  
  
Mint smiled. "Diablo," he said, his voice taking on a terrifying tone as it boomed through the halls. He smiled. "And now that we know what we need, we really have no need for you."  
  
He lunged forward, the last bit of his human form faded as his demon self came into view. Akane was too stunned to move but lucky for her, P-Chan leaped into action. He launched himself forward, landed on the demon's face. He quickly moved his little hooves, doing his best to make a distraction. He tried to squeal to tell Akane to run but she was frozen.  
  
The demon Mint got a hand on his tiny aggressor and threw him to the wall. P-chan couldn't react and hit the wall with a dull thud. He landed on the ground, shaken but not hurt too badly. He looked up and saw the demon headed right towards Akane.  
  
He started to move but the demon moved quicker, lashing out an arm and sending her spinning into the wall. There was a huge crack as Akane's helmet shattered like glass and she fell to the ground unconscious. The demon advanced, ready to finish the job, the claws in his arm looking as if they grew several inches in length.  
  
P-chan squealed and charged, knowing he would be too late. In his quickness to attack, he never saw the movement at the other end of the hallway and suddenly ran smack into neko-Shampoo.  
  
Neko-Shampoo shook her head and looked at P-chan. It looked like she was half scared to death! P-chan tried to ask her what happened but all that came out were squeals. Her responses were all meows. So she turned around and pointed with a paw to the scene that was unfolded behind them.  
  
The demon was falling back, desperately trying to fend off something that was attacking him. It moved so quickly he couldn't retaliate and as each second passed he was taking more damage. After several minutes of this, the demon Mint fell to the ground, unconsciously.  
  
A small form crawled from under his side and perched on his side. P-chan realized it was Ranma-chan. He ran over to her, to tell her about Akane but halfway there he realized something was wrong. Ranma-chan was sitting on all four and carefully coating her right hand with saliva before she ran it across her face.  
  
P-chan stopped, taking in the gross scene. He turned to neko-Shampoo who nodded her little cat head. Oh yes, she saw it and agreed that it was weird.  
  
"Ranma-honey?!"  
  
"Shampoo!!"  
  
P-chan turned and listened. It sounded like Mousse and Ukyo were close. It sounded like they were running.  
  
Sure enough a second later, they reached the group. "Ranma-honey!" Ukyo called out as she reached Ranma-chan. But the red-head didn't pay attention to her. "Ranma?"  
  
Mousse stopped and looked at P-chan. "Shampoo? Is that you? Did you change into a cat??"  
  
P-chan sighed and shook his head. And then promptly used a hoof to hit Mousse in the nose just as neko-Shampoo hit him in the arm.  
  
"Ow!" Mousse said. He shook his head and looked down at the real neko- Shampoo. "Sorry," he said, lowering his arm so she could climb onto his shoulder. He reached down and picked up P-chan.  
  
"Ranma?" Ukyo asked again. Ranma-chan suddenly hissed at her. Ukyo backed off quickly. And then she saw Akane.  
  
"Mousse!" she called out. Mousse turned quickly. "Oh man, I think Akane's hurt."  
  
Mousse ran over to where Ukyo was just as Ranma-chan turned towards Ukyo. The feral look in her eyes suddenly faded. "Akane?" she said.  
  
"Help me get this off," Mousse said as he deposited P-chan on the ground. The little pig crawled up to Akane's lap and sat down, looking her. Carefully Mousse and Ukyo removed the fragments of the helmet from Akane's head.  
  
"Akane?" Ranma-chan said as he joined them. She looked at Akane's face, looking for a sign of injury but found none. It just looked like Akane was sleeping peacefully.  
  
Mousse tentatively lifted her head and looked for any wounds. He shook his head. "The helmet took all the damage but I think she's fainted."  
  
"We have to get out of here," Ranma-chan said, leaning forward and lifting Akane into her arms. But it was very difficult in her female form. "Crap, do you have any hot water?"  
  
Mousse shook his head. "No, not here. How did you get wet?"  
  
"That damn little girl threw water on Shampoo and me," Ranma-chan said. "I don't know what she was trying to do."  
  
"Put you in a weaker state," Ukyo said. "Let's face it, it would be easier to pick you off it you were in cursed forms."  
  
"Well at least you got it," Mousse said, pointing to the crumpled form of the demon.  
  
Ranma-chan nodded. "We'll just go to the surface, get some hot water, make sure Akane is okay and then come back down."  
  
But before she could even start to move, they heard a low rumble coming from down the hall. "Ah," Ukyo said, "I thought you said you took care of the monster."  
  
The group looked over and sure enough the demon was still crumpled on the ground. "What the…" Ranma-chan said.  
  
Suddenly a second demon came tearing down the hall. "RUN!" Ukyo yelled picking up P-chan as she started to run. They started to put some distance between themselves and the demon but Ranma-chan was having a hard time keeping up. Soon, he started to fall behind.  
  
Ukyo doubled back, putting P-chan on her shoulder, and went behind Ranma- chan and Akane and began to push, helping to move them along.  
  
"There's a stairway down near here," Mousse said, turning the corner and seeing the opening in the wall nearby.  
  
"Ukyo, take Akane and run!" Ranma-chan said, realizing that they were slowing down the group too much.  
  
"No!" Ukyo said, giving Ranma-chan one final push and then turned to face the demon. "Keep going, I'll hold them off for a while."  
  
Ranma-chan wanted to stop but she knew Ukyo was right. Without another word, she quickly followed Mousse down the stairs. Ukyo looked up at P- chan perched on her shoulder.  
  
"Better run for it pig boy," she said. P-chan jumped off her shoulder and landed on the ground next to her. He dug his hooves into the ground and lowered his head. Ukyo smiled. "Thanks," she said softly just as the demon rounded the corner.  
  
* * *  
  
Mousse and Ranma-chan continued to run, passing through what looked like dungeons and down three more flights of stairs to the cellars.  
  
Mousse stopped as soon as they reached the landing. "I think we should be safe."  
  
Ranma-chan carefully put Akane on the ground. "Did we have to go this far down?" she demanded.  
  
Mousse nodded. "You saw the way that thing moved. It would have caught us in no time. We needed to lose it and I think we've gotten far enough so that it won't be able to find us."  
  
"But what about Ukyo," Ranma-chan cried. "We left her up there."  
  
Mousse was silent as he sat down. "She made her choice."  
  
"I'm going back to get her," Ranma-chan said. But he took one look around and realized she was completely lost. "Dammit," she said, kicking the ground. She looked angrily over at Mousse.  
  
"Well now what?" Ranma-chan demanded. "Do have any idea of where we are?"  
  
But Mousse was silent. After a while, even neko-Shampoo got a bit worried. She meowed softly in his ear to rouse him. It worked because suddenly Mousse was on his feet.  
  
"It's not possible," he said softly.  
  
Ranma-chan looked over at him with confusion. "What's not possible."  
  
Carefully Mousse walked forward and touched the wall. "It's here. This is the lock!!"  
  
"The lock?" Ranma-chan said walking over to where he was. Looking carefully, Ranma could see a groove in the wall. "How did you see that?"  
  
Mousse shook his head. "I didn't. I felt something… something drawing me to the wall." He reached into his robes and pulled out the Horadric staff. Carefully he placed it on the wall.  
  
Suddenly the floor light up as two poles came out of the ground and snapped together. There was a moment of silence and suddenly the room was filled with light. Mousse and Ranma-chan ducked, covering their faces.  
  
The light faded and slowly, they both looked towards the source of the confusion. There was a blue glow coming from it. Mousse moved in closer to get a good look at it.  
  
"It's a portal," he said.  
  
"Where does it go?" Ranma-chan asked.  
  
Mousse shook his head. "I don't know…"  
  
"Well, I say leave it be and go find Uk…"  
  
"RUN!!!" Ukyo said as she came sprinting into the room, with P-chan in close pursuit. Even before she had finished yelled they could hear the demon coming barreling down the stairs.  
  
Ukyo didn't wait. She saw the blue glow and just leapt through it, hoping it was a Town Portal. P-chan followed quickly. Ranma-chan barely had time to grab Akane.  
  
"Where does it…" she tried to ask again.  
  
"Just go!" Mousse said, taking her by the arm and shoving Ranma-chan and Akane through it. They disappeared quickly from view. Neko-Shampoo clawed lightly on Mousse's shoulder, telling him it was time to go.  
  
Mousse nodded and quickly cast a bone wall around the portal just as the demon came through. It screamed in fury as it hit the wall full on. It started to tear it apart, sending bone fragments into the air.  
  
Realizing what he would have to do, Mousse quickly conjured up a bone spear and aimed it past the wall, past the demon to where the staff was embedded in. As soon as it was cast, he stepped backwards, letting it shattered and destroy the Horadric staff.  
  
Just as the demon made it through, the blue light faded. It tried to jump through but the two poles came crashing down and it jumped through the air. It screamed in anger and started to rip at the ground, trying to make the portal reappear.  
  
"It's not use." The demon stopped and looked up in the air, hearing it's master's voice. The demon shimmered and Lime reappeared in its place. "They've closed the door but… we still have our spy. And she'll give us all the information we need." Lime bowed to the nothingness. "Now go get Mint and return to camp. We must prepare to raid the seven tombs the moment we know." 


	13. Act 2, Quest 5 : The Summoner

Author's note:  
  
Phew… Well I've been trying to catch up in the story so I haven't had the chance to thank all of my wonderful reviewers. I'm glad you are enjoying it and I hope you'll stay for more.  
  
I feel that at this time I should warn all of you. I am a computer scientist who writes for fun. That pretty much means that my grammar and spelling are about as good as whatever the current version of word's checker is. So I apologize for all the mistakes and I'll try to make sure that they're fewer in number…  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
Mousse tumbled onto the ground, losing neko-Shampoo in the process. He spun a few times on the floor and suddenly found himself toppling over the edge of an unknown platform. He quickly grabbed the ledge and held on tightly with both hands.  
  
As soon as he stopped swinging, he cautiously began to take in his environment. Much to his surprise, he found himself facing a blurry, starry sky. All to quickly, he realized what a mistake it was to do so. Dizziness overwhelmed him and he started to lose his grip. Suddenly he felt a strong arm grabbed his and lift him up over the precipice.  
  
"Carefully there," Ukyo said as she deposited him on the ground.  
  
"Thanks," he muttered.  
  
Ukyo nodded and tried to fight back her own dizziness. But the environment was very disorienting. The night sky seemed to envelop them completely and it appeared that all they had to stand on was a platform of marble suspended in space.  
  
"Oh man," Mousse said putting a robed hand onto his mouth, trying to fight back nausea. "This is the Arcane Sanctuary?"  
  
Ukyo shook her head. "I don't know, I thought I was going through a town portal."  
  
"No such luck," Mousse said.  
  
"Yeah, kind of realized that when I took a good look at the place," Ukyo said. "So how do we get out of here."  
  
Mousse shook his head. "I don't know. I had to close the portal before we got in here…"  
  
"Wait a minute," Ukyo interrupted. "You closed the portal without knowing if there was a way for us to get out of here?"  
  
Mousse paused and realized the type of danger he was in. "Ah… ah… hey, where's the rest of the group?"  
  
Ukyo glared at him but let it drop. "Akane's still out. P-chan is watching her. Shampoo managed to land right on Ranma-chan so she froze solid and dropped to the ground."  
  
"Meow," neko-Shampoo said as she joined the group. It's not my fault had been what she was aiming to say but the disgruntled meow passed on the message fine.  
  
"So is there another way out of here?" Ukyo asked.  
  
Mousse nodded. "There should be, only I don't know where it would be."  
  
"Well, you stay here and guard the rest of this sorry lot," she said motioning to the collapsed pile of adventures, "and I'll go look for the way out."  
  
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Mousse asked. "I have a feeling this place is very dangerous."  
  
Ukyo walked away. "I'm used to facing danger by myself."  
  
* * *  
  
"I don't understand. Why did Ranma leave?"  
  
A seven-year-old Ukyo looked pleadingly at her father. But the older man could only shake his head. "I'm sorry, Ukyo," he said with a shrug, "it just didn't work out."  
  
Ukyo's lower lip quivered and she quickly left their small house, letting her cup of juice splatter on the ground as she did. Why didn't Ran-chan want her to come along? Why did they just leave her behind?  
  
A group of girls watched as she entered the school. She heard them laughing but it never occurred that they would be laughing at her until one of them called out, "Got rejected didn't you! Now you'll never get married."  
  
Ukyo stopped in her tracks and turned to face the older girl who really couldn't have been more than nine. "What?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"Everyone knows," the girl said, trying to sound older. "And my mom said that now that you've been rejected no one will want you."  
  
"That's not true," Ukyo said.  
  
"I guess it's not a surprise," the girl continued. "After all, your mother rejected you already."  
  
Ukyo's anger flared. "Take that back," she said.  
  
"Reject!" The girl called out. "Reject! Reject!" The other girls started to follow. "Reject! Reject!"  
  
"STOP IT!" Ukyo cried as she advanced on them.  
  
She never remembered what happened next. She only remembered that five minutes there was a lot of screaming, some one was pulling her away and her hands were covered with blood.  
  
* * *  
  
Ukyo carefully crawled up the stairs. Looking cautiously over, she saw a small group Dark Lords drifting in the air. A head on attack would be futile, she needed to use stealth. Slowly she leaned over the stairs towards the infinite sky below her. Pushing off with her feet, she quickly flipped around so that she was grabbing the ledge with the back of her head lightly touching it.  
  
Slowly and carefully, she turned herself around and moved slowly past the stairs until she reached the area where the monsters were. Prepping herself mentally, Ukyo began to swing a bit until she had enough momentum to flip back on top of the ledge.  
  
She landed in a crouch but didn't stay there for long. Leaping forward, she gripped tightly onto her dual blades and began to decimate the group there.  
  
* * *  
  
"Get rid of her."  
  
"Are you crazy? She's my daughter!"  
  
"She'll be sent to prison and you'll follow her."  
  
"No one died, they just were a bit hurt."  
  
"A bit? The healers are still trying to mend the bone of the Boyd girl. Your daughter is a menace."  
  
"She's all I have. It was a mistake. We'll move away, start over…"  
  
"They'll find you."  
  
"I'll go someplace where…"  
  
"Kuonji-san…"  
  
"NO! I will not loose her. Not like I lost her mother."  
  
"It's the only way. Give her to me. I'll take her somewhere safe…"  
  
"And I'll never see her again."  
  
"We will take care of her, teach her and you will be safe."  
  
"I don't want to be safe if it means being alone."  
  
"I'm sorry, there is no other way. You must realize that"  
  
* * *  
  
Ukyo's feet crossed as she moved towards the edge of platform. This place was more confusing then a maze but it allowed for moments like this. It was a two-story platform and looking down she could make out a large group of red cloven beasts with an assortment of Dark Lords.  
  
She was outnumbered at least a dozen to one but she knew how to level the odds a bit. Silently she began to lay the traps, arranging them in an organized pattern which she had been taught was the most effective when dealing with a large group.  
  
As soon as she was ready, Ukyo stood up and walked down the stairs. When the monsters turned to face her, she pretended like she was caught unaware and took off, dodging a few fireballs as she did.  
  
Her movements were like a dance as Ukyo evaded her traps. She didn't stop when she had cleared them but kept moving until she felt the first explosion behind her.  
  
* * *  
  
"Good!" the teacher said as debris from the explosion settled to the ground. "Your knowledge of traps is masterful. You'll be a full Assassin in no time."  
  
"Yes she will."  
  
A sixteen-year-old Ukyo looked quickly behind her. Both she and the teacher bowed deeply as the robed woman approached them. The woman was Aiko, the current head of the Assassins. "Her fighting skills are unsurpassed as well," she said with smile. "Or so I have heard."  
  
"She is our best student," the teacher said. Ukyo struggled to keep her cheeks from burning too deeply.  
  
"Then it is time. Come with me Ukyo," Aiko said. "I will teach you one last lesson."  
  
Ukyo quickly fell into step behind the older woman. There was no indication of where she was going or what she was going to teach. As Ukyo looked back, she realized it would be the last time that she saw any of her teachers or fellow students again.  
  
If she felt any remorse with losing the connections she had made over her nine years at the school it didn't show. Ukyo was ready for whatever lay ahead.  
  
"Come inside," the woman said, motioning into a small room. As Ukyo walked inside she realized it was bare save for a large mirror that hung on the back wall. "This is our greatest secret. One that we only reveal to those who have been welcomed into our order.  
  
"For many centuries," the woman continued, "we have fought a war against darkness, seeking out the corrupted mages and destroying them. It is a fight, however, that we do not fight alone. Come closer."  
  
Ukyo moved closer until the mirror came into view. As it did, she realized that only Aiko's reflection was present. Scared she started to step back but was caught by Aiko's firm grip.  
  
"Don't be afraid. It is time to call forth your second self." Ukyo looked at the woman with confusion but realized that it was no joke. "Touch the mirror."  
  
Ukyo's hand went out slightly and her finger grazed the surface of the mirror. It rippled like water and Ukyo stepped quickly back. As the image stilled, she suddenly saw herself, staring back from the other side of the mirror.  
  
"Now, you are ready."  
  
* * *  
  
Ukyo looked at her arm and cursed as the blood continued to ooze from it. Taking off her belt she quickly wrapped it around the wound, hoping to stop the flow. It was a stupid injury. She should have been more careful but they had caught her by surprise.  
  
Now she was alone, injured without a potion in sight. She didn't know where the exit was and worse, she didn't know how to get back. She didn't know if she could take any more damage.  
  
She was afraid.  
  
* * *  
  
"It's a simple job," her handler was telling her. "You sneak into the palace and place this mixture in the king's chalice."  
  
Ukyo looked at the small sack. "Is it poison?"  
  
"Never mind what it is," the handler said. "Just do your job."  
  
Ukyo nodded and left the tiny hut. This was her first assignment since she left the Assassin's school. They told her it would be an easy job, to ease her into her new life. A corrupt king had taped into the powers of an ancient evil and was attempting to raise him to help rule the world.  
  
She had arrived here less than a day ago, found her contact and gotten her final orders. Sneaking into the palace would be easy and in fact, it took her less than the time from when the sun set to time the stars shone in the sky to position herself in a dark corner of the hallway from the kitchen to the dining room.  
  
She waited until one of the servants passed her by carrying a bottle of wine. Quickly, she subdued him and took his clothes, masking herself as a boy and stealing into the dining room without being detected.  
  
There she found the king, laughing at a jester who performed in front of him. To his right, sat the queen with a small child on her lap. Ukyo felt a pang of regret for destroying the family but her resolve was steeled by years of training.  
  
Leaning forward, she pour the wine into the King's chalice, allowing some of the powder fall from her hand into his cup at the same time. She stood up and poured more wine, without the poison, for the queen and walked to the side of the room.  
  
She had to be careful not to draw suspicion to herself, especially when the king started to feel the effect of the poison. Otherwise, they'd catch her and imprison her. So she watched, waiting for the first signs of poison knowing that in the chaos that followed she could make her escape.  
  
But something went wrong. The prince began to struggle on his mother's lap. The king looked over with increased annoyance. The little boy finally began to cry and, despite the queen's best efforts, wouldn't stop. By now, a red color had risen in the king's face.  
  
"Make it stop!" he screamed. "MAKE IT STOP!"  
  
Before anyone could do anything, he had reached for the young prince and the cries suddenly were silenced. A small dagger fell from his hands a moment later and clattered to the floor. There was silence for several moments before the queen began to scream.  
  
The king suddenly regained his senses and turning, he saw the scene next to him and began to cry out as well. He reached for his wife and knocked the glass of wine to the ground. As it did, Ukyo suddenly snapped out of her shock.  
  
She watched the wine spread out on the floor and then looked down at her hand, shaking as realization dawned on her.  
  
* * *  
  
Ukyo limped over to the edge of next platform. It was another two-story one and from her vantage point she could see a faint blue glow on the horizon. With joy in her heart, she realized that it was the way out. She had found it!  
  
A bit dizzy from joy and loss of blood she stumbled her way towards it, realizing all to late that it would be guarded. Arriving there, she saw the gruesome figure turn to face her.  
  
* * *  
  
"You don't understand…"  
  
"I understand perfectly!" Ukyo screamed. "You did this to me. You put something in my drink when I was a child that made me act the same way that king did!"  
  
"No," Aiko was saying. But Ukyo ignored her. She had ridden five days straight, galloping away from the castle with nothing else on her mind but this confrontation.  
  
"Why?" Ukyo demanded. "Why would you want me? I'm completely worthless! Rejected by my mother, rejected by my fiancé. But… I was never a killer."  
  
"You must understand…"  
  
"Understand?" Ukyo yelled. "You took my life away from me! You left my father with no other choice then to give me away!!"  
  
"Yes," Aiko said. "That's because there was no other way. He wouldn't have given you to me any other…"  
  
Aiko paused. Suddenly the older woman's eyes glistened slightly. "Please, Ukyo-chan. I never wanted anything for you but to be happy. This was your path. It always had been."  
  
Ukyo paused and looked at the other woman. Suddenly seeing her for something other than leader of the assassins. Seeing her as a normal woman with large brown eyes, long brown hair…  
  
"No…" Ukyo said backing away. "No you can't be…"  
  
"I wanted to tell you," Aiko said with a sad smile. "But the others… they decided that this was best."  
  
"No, please," Ukyo was saying, not believing what was happening.  
  
"The assassin who gave you the poison, she betrayed us all. If the king had been killed then we would be in no danger. But because of what has happened now, he will seek the evil lord in exchange for his child's life. And what's more is that you now know the truth. Don't let her victory be complete, please Ukyo-chan. The greatest evil will be unleashed on this world and we need you to fight along side…"  
  
"NO!" Ukyo cried. "No more!" She fled from the room, down the stairs of the tower and back to her horse. Without a second thought, she steered away from the assassin stronghold and fled back to her hometown.  
  
* * *  
  
The Summoner's head whipped backwards as Ukyo landed a blow. But it resonated back in her as well and she was forced to take a step backward. She used her new position to lash out a kick, landing in his side. She felt a few ribs break on contact but the Summoner grabbed her foot.  
  
With a sneer, he threw her backward. Ukyo hit the ground and looked up just long enough to see him casting another spell. The floor turned to ice beneath her. Trying to stand up, she slipped and fell hard on the ground. The ice provide no traction and she quickly slid backwards, making a desperate last attempt to grab the platform.  
  
Her fingers screamed in agony as they tried to hang on, dealing with both the strain of her weight and the coldness of the ice. Looking down and seeing the infinite nothingness beneath her, she realized that this might be it. She would die out here alone.  
  
Alone.  
  
Her adrenaline kicked in and Ukyo swung upwards, landing on the platform, but falling quickly to her feet. The Summoner was right there and caught completely by surprise. He cast a fireball to push her back over the edge but Ukyo dodged, watching in amazement as the ice melted under the heat.  
  
This was her chance. Standing up on the firm ground she attached, launching a series of attacks. She could feel her ki building as each blow landed. The Summoner was falling back, not by his own volition but by the impact of her kick and punch.  
  
Finally, when she felt she could not take it anymore, Ukyo released the ki that had been swirling around her. It hit her opponent hard and he screamed in agony as he fell to the ground.  
  
She followed suit, falling to her knees, completely exhausted. Looking over, she saw the light slowly fade from her enemy's eyes.  
  
* * *  
  
"He must have died a few days ago. No one really comes up here. He always lived alone."  
  
Ukyo placed a hand on the cold face of the dead man. Fighting back a sob, she carefully closed his eyes. Looking at the elderly villager, she pulled a sack of money from her side and handed it to him.  
  
"I want a proper ritual," she said softly. The man nodded, took her money and left Ukyo alone with the body of her father.  
  
By sunset, it was burning on a funeral pyre while a priest gave the final prayers. When he finished he gave Ukyo a soft grab on her shoulder and left her there.  
  
The fire burned for several hours and it wasn't until the last embers had gone out that she stood up once more.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ukyo!" Mousse called out. He ran over and managed to catch her just as exhaustion set it. He reached for a potion and forced the liquid down her throat. The skin began to heal but Ukyo would not up wake.  
  
"She's exhausted," Mousse said to no one in particular.  
  
"Meow."  
  
Mousse looked down at neko-Shampoo and realized she had something in her mouth. Leaning over, Mousse gently took it from her and examined it. It was a red thread nad looking back… it appeared to go on into the horizon.  
  
"She left us a trail!" Mousse said.  
  
"Ooooh, what happened…"  
  
Mousse's head whipped around and watched as Ranma-chan began to shake the sleep from her head. "Stay here," he said to neko-Shampoo.  
  
"Meow meow," she replied with what could only be a cat sigh.  
  
* * *  
  
"You may hate me but you have to know what your destiny is."  
  
Ukyo stood by her horse, cursing the fact that Aiko had finally caught up with her. "I know what my destiny is. Revenge. First on the Saotomes for their part in this. Then…"  
  
"Then me," Aiko said. She paused, suddenly realizing the name Ukyo had just spoken. "Find the Saotomes. You are right. Your destiny lies with them."  
  
Ukyo turned red, not wanting Aiko to agree with her. But rather than say anything more, she jumped on her horse and turned away, charging off into the horizon.  
  
Aiko watched her go and bowed her head, trying to hide the tears. "Good bye, daughter."  
  
* * *  
  
"Ah ha! She found it!" Mousse said, as she gently placed Ukyo's body on the ground.  
  
"Yeah, and it looks like she destroyed whatever it was that was guarding it," Ranma-chan said, pointing to the corpse on the ground as best she could with Akane still on her back.  
  
"Wait," Mousse said, looking around. "Wait just a minute…"  
  
"What's wrong?" Ranma-chan asked.  
  
"This is it!" Mousse said running forward and examining the walls. "This is the last part of the puzzle!"  
  
"Meow?"  
  
"The puzzle," Mousse said. "The location of Tal Rasha's temple!"  
  
"Tal Ra what?" Ranma-chan said.  
  
"Owwww…"  
  
"Akane??" Ranma-chan asked, feeling the other girl stir on her back. She gently put her down on the ground and watched as Akane opened her eyes.  
  
"Ow," Akane said. "What happened??"  
  
"There are six symbols here," Mousse was saying. "That means that…"  
  
P-Chan started to squeal. He began to pull at the robe of Mousse with his teeth. "That means… hey, hey! Stop that!!" Mousse cried, trying to push P- chan away. Ranma-chan walked over and grabbed the squealing piglet.  
  
"Just stop it!" she said. "Geez… what's your problem?" P-chan continued to squeal but Ranma-chan unceremoniously shoved the yellow bandana from around his neck into his mouth.  
  
"Right," Mousse said looking at the pig with puzzlement. "As I was saying, there are six symbols here. I bet that they represent the temples in the desert."  
  
Akane's mind was still muddled. She was trying to clear it when Ranma-chan knelt next to her. "Are you okay?"  
  
"But the legends said there were seven," Mousse said. "Seven temples in the desert, six symbols on the wall…"  
  
Akane looked over at P-chan as he writhed in Ranma-chan's hand. It looked like he was trying to tell her something…  
  
"That's it! The missing symbol must be the one that marks the temple will Tal Rasha is!"  
  
Suddenly, Akane's face paled. She remembered. She remembered what had happened. "Oh no," she said, turning away from P-chan. Had she looked at the wall? Had they seen what they needed?  
  
"Akane, what's wrong?" Ranma-chan asked.  
  
"We need to go," Akane said, covering her eyes. "Right now!"  
  
"What?" Ranma-chan asked.  
  
"I'll explain on the way, just don't let me see that wall."  
  
Confused but ready to give her the benefit of the doubt, Ranma-chan shrugged at Mousse and began to lead Akane to the portal as she gripped tightly onto P-chan. Mousse made sure to memorize the six symbols and then picked up Ukyo to follow Ranma-chan with neko-Shampoo in tow.  
  
Even as she felt the air change from the stuffy stale on in the Arcane Sanctuary to the clean, crisp one of Lut Gholeim, Akane already knew it was too late. They had seen the wall through her eyes and would be riding to free the lesser evil, Tal Rasha. 


	14. Act 2, Quest 6 : The Seven Tombs

Author's note: OUCH! "Six digit number" caught me. I made a continuity error. Ahem… so without further ado (and a really quick fix), a revised issue of this chapter.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
"I don't understand," Ranma said again.  
  
Mousse shook his head and tried to explain it in a different way. "When Akane used her 'gift', it put something like a curse on her and it lets the people who did this to her see everything we do."  
  
"But that doesn't make any sense," Ranma said. "Why would they be so interested in us?"  
  
"It doesn't matter," Ryoga said gruffly as he joined the group. "What matters is that they know which of the seven tombs to go to and we have to get there first."  
  
Mousse nodded. "I agree. Time is of the essence here. If Tal Rasha's tomb is found before we can reach it, I hesitate to even guess at what they may do with the power they find there."  
  
Ryoga and Mousse both looked at Ranma. "Okay, then let's go."  
  
"Right," Mousse said, "But you understand… Akane has to stay behind."  
  
Ranma nodded slowly. "Yeah, I got that. I'll go tell her."  
  
With a reluctant sigh, he stood up and left the tent where the three boys had been conversing. He passed by and saw Ukyo and Shampoo preparing their weapons for the next fight. It took him a minute but he finally found her sitting by the fire.  
  
"Hey," he said taking a seat next to her. She turned her face away. "Ah… did I say something wrong?"  
  
"No," she said softly, drawing her knees into her chest. "It's just…" she trailed off.  
  
"Hey, don't worry about that!" Ranma said, trying to cheer her up. "No one's blaming you or nothing…" He heard a sniffle. "Hey, Akane?"  
  
"What?" she said, still sniffling.  
  
"You know what the worst part about this?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"I don't get to see you toast some monster with that mean Firewall you've been working on."  
  
Akane turned around. She smiled a bit through the sniffle. "Thanks."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For saying that it's a good spell."  
  
"It's a good spell," Ranma said. "Besides, I want to see something get fried other than me."  
  
Akane's face darkened. "Well, maybe if you weren't such a jerk most of the time, I wouldn't have to fireball you."  
  
"Maybe if you weren't so violent, I would have to worry about it."  
  
"Who are you calling VIOLENT?" Akane said, standing up.  
  
Ranma didn't wait a moment longer but took off running, watching as a fireball passed him by. He turned around and saw Akane smiling after him. With a roll of her eyes, she sat down. Dumb jerk… of course, he had cheered her up. In his own special way.  
  
* * *  
  
"There. That's his weakness."  
  
"The girl? But all they do is fight?"  
  
"The stronger the anger, the more fire to the…"  
  
"Okay, I understand."  
  
"What are you two nitwits talking about?"  
  
Lime and Mint turned around and saw Herb slowly limping into the room. His side was still bandaged from the blow that Shampoo had dealt him. Lime and Mint melted slight under his gaze.  
  
"We found something about the Paladin that might be of some use," Lime said softly.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"He seems to be attached to one of the girls," Mint continued. "In the past he's always fought to protect her and from the talk of their parents, the two appear engaged."  
  
"I thought they hated each other."  
  
"I don't think so," Lime continued. "If anything, I think they aggravate each other to mask their feelings."  
  
Herb sighed. "Which one?"  
  
"The tainted one," Mint replied.  
  
"She's useless to us anyway," Lime replied. "We can replace her easily and…"  
  
"I'll take it to the master," Herb interrupted. "And you two stop looking in that damn glass ball. We need to be prepared. The master has found the tomb we were searching for."  
  
* * *  
  
"All right," Ranma said looking at the group. "We'll take one of Mousse portals right to the mountain above the Canyon of the Magi. Then we'll search the place for the right tomb."  
  
"Shouldn't we split up?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"No," Ranma said. "It sounds like we might have company and us splitting up tends to mean that at least half the group is coming back in pieces."  
  
"Then let's go," Shampoo said standing up and looking over at Mousse. He stood up and pulled out a scroll, casting a portal spell. The air shimmered and turned blue as the portal appeared. Shampoo went through first, followed quickly by Mousse.  
  
"You coming, Ran-chan?" Ukyo asked as Ryoga went through.  
  
"Yeah, give me a sec," he said, motioning over to his father who was waiting nearby. Ukyo nodded and went through.  
  
"Ranma," Genma said.  
  
"Yeah, pop. What do you want?"  
  
Genma paused, appearing to struggle with words. "Be careful."  
  
"Right," Ranma said. "Of course, we'd be a lot safer if a level 32 Druid came with us…" But by then, Genma was gone, replaced by a furry panda. "Always the same…"  
  
"Wait!"  
  
He stopped just before the portal and turned around. He saw a blindfolded Akane walking down the hill. "Sorry, I wanted to see you all off but I kind of ran into a few things."  
  
"Why are you… oh."  
  
"Yeah, this way they don't know what we're doing," Akane said. "So ummm…"  
  
"Yeah… well…"  
  
"Good luck!" Akane said, suddenly outstretching her hand. Something came tumbling out of her fingers. Ranma reached forward and slowly grabbed it. "It's a piece of my helmet. It's not going to do me any good but Cologne said it might make a good amulet."  
  
"Ah… thanks," Ranma said taking it from her.  
  
"Okay, bye! Good luck!" she said waving and then turning around. It should have been a graceful exit but she was blind folded and ending up running into a few things along the way.  
  
Ranma watched her go, a bit perplexed. He looked at the small triangle on a chain as it glittered in the sun light. Looking around, he made sure his father had left and quickly slipped it on, putting it under his shirt.  
  
Somewhere in the shadows, Soun Tendo and Genma-Panda had themselves a little chuckle.  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma materialized outside the portal and looked around at the assembled group. Ukyo raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Your dad had a lot to say," she said.  
  
Ranma just nodded firmly. "So what's the story?"  
  
"They here," Shampoo said, motioning with the head to the Canyon below. "Already go into temple but Shampoo saw them."  
  
"And they left behind guards," Ryoga said gruffly. "When's the sun going to set?"  
  
"Not soon enough," Ranma said. "We'll have to risk it. There's not too many of them there."  
  
"What's to say they don't call up reinforcements the second they see us?" Mousse asked.  
  
"Duck boy right… need to take out guards silently," Shampoo said looking at Ukyo.  
  
"Well… I could try but there's at least six of them there… but I think I might have an idea that will work," she said looking back at Shampoo with a wicked smile.  
  
"What?" Shampoo said, hesitantly.  
  
* * *  
  
"Akane!"  
  
Akane stopped walking and held out her hand for the wall. Soun and Genma were running to catch up with her. She smiled as they approached her, the sun glaring in her eyes. Apparently her eyes had not adjusted to the sunlight.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"I was just going for a walk," Akane said, shielded her eyes against the glare. It looked like all the buildings were moving and the road was wavy. Even Soun and Genma looked a bit odd.  
  
"But… but you're not wearing your blind fold."  
  
Akane shrugged. "It's not like there's anyone here for them to watch."  
  
"Exactly," Soun replied. "They'll know the others are gone! Oh, Akane this may ruin their chance at a surprise."  
  
"I'm sorry," Akane said, suddenly realizing her mistake. Panicking she covered her eyes so as not to see anything more.  
  
"This is exactly what I was talking about Tendo," Genma said. "I knew this was going to be a problem."  
  
"I have to agree, Saotome," Soun said. "Especially now that Cologne has said the chance for a cure is minimal."  
  
"What?" Akane asked, getting more distressed.  
  
"Then there is only one thing to do," Genma replied.  
  
"I agree," Soun said with a smile. "Akane, you will remain here. We simply can't take you along any further and risk you giving away our plans."  
  
"Stay here?? I don't understand!"  
  
Genma nodded. "Its for the best, besides Soun, your other two daughters are reportedly still alive. One of them can complete our contract."  
  
"Wait just a minute!" Akane cried. "What are saying?"  
  
"Well Akane," Soun said. "I can't very well leave one of my daughter behind in the desert by herself. And with Kuno having already shown so much interest, it won't be hard to convince him to take you on as a wife."  
  
"Or a concubine," Genma said. "Let's face it, his supply just got wiped out."  
  
"This is a joke!" Akane cried.  
  
Soun and Genma turned to face her, looking at her as if she was completely out of her mind for not seeing it their way.  
  
"Akane," Soun said. "You wouldn't want to disappoint your father, would you?"  
  
"Yes," Genma said, "not after you disappointed him and the rest of your friends by betraying them."  
  
"Besides it'll be a nice life here," Soun said. "We'll right letter, invite you to Nabiki and Ranma's wedding as soon as we find her."  
  
Whatever shred of reality Akane held onto faltered and disappeared. With a sob, she just ran, letting her hand drop so she could see again as she moved through the streets and lost herself in Lut Gholeim until she ended up collapsed on the side of a wall, crying hysterically.  
  
Back where she had fled from, Soun and Genma shrugged. Their disguises faded and Mint and Lime looked at each other with a sigh.  
  
"That was too easy," Mint said.  
  
"Well, we'll see. Herb should be putting the finishing touches on the plans as we speak."  
  
* * *  
  
Shampoo hugged her arms together and cursed Ukyo for her plan. She felt completely naked without her armor. She may as well have been naked with her body suit being her only protection against the elements. The sand hit her bare legs as she walked towards the temple.  
  
Looking over, she saw Ukyo wasn't exactly pleased with the situation herself. But this was the best they could do. Six demons, two helpless looking damsels in distress. Only Ukyo could kill them with her bare hands and Shampoo has her spear folded nad strapped on her back.  
  
"Hello!" Ukyo called out. "Hello!!"  
  
Shampoo rolled her eyes and followed suit, waving to the demon guards. Ordinarily, this sort of getup would turn any human male to mush. It translated into lunch for demons.  
  
It was surprising how quickly they moved towards the two girls. It was like they had been starved for the past several weeks. They had a ravenous look on their faces that almost made Shampoo want to turn and run away. But she held fast, placing a hand on her hip and waiting until they were close enough.  
  
"NOW!" Ukyo cried.  
  
Shampoo's hand went to her back and she whipped the spear forward, letting it snap into its full length as she did. She let the momentum carry it over her head, where she grabbed it with her other hand and use the force of gravity to send it forward, straight through the demon, cutting it in half. Not pausing for a second, she pushed it forward, spearing the second demon, killing him instantly. He fell, taking the spear with him, but Shampoo simply stepped forward and began to turn, using her body strength to rip the spear out of the dead demons body. As she came around, she slashed the third, ripping the skin around his neck and sending him to the netherworld in a haze of blood.  
  
Ukyo's assault was similar. The first demon met with the palm of her hand, an instant kill shot. The second one was a bit trickier but Ukyo managed to step over the first corpse and let a devastating kick break the second one's neck. By now, her ki was building and all it took was a single ki- filled punch to fell the third and final one.  
  
The two girls ended in the same place, more or less. Shampoo rearranged her hair with a sigh, hoping she hadn't gotten too much blood on it. Ukyo calmly brushed off some sand from her arm.  
  
They turned around and watched as the boys emerged from behind a sand dune.  
  
"What are you waiting for?" Ukyo demanded.  
  
"Yeah, Shampoo need armor back now!"  
  
But the boys remained a bit frozen by what they had just seen. "Remind me," Ranma said, "to never piss those two off."  
  
* * *  
  
"Akane? Akane!" Soun said, looking inside his daughter's tent. He frowned when he saw that she wasn't there.  
  
"Tendo!"  
  
"What is it, Saotome?" Soun said emerging into the main camping area.  
  
"She's not with Cologne or Kin," Genma said.  
  
Soun tried not to look worried. "Where could she have… Akane!"  
  
Akane walked towards them slowly, a lethargy taking over her normally boisterious steps. "Hello father, Saotome-san."  
  
"Akane," Soun said, suddenly very worried. "Are you alright?"  
  
Akane looked at them, arching an eyebrow. "Yes, I'm just tired."  
  
"Well, maybe you should get to sleep."  
  
"No," Akane said softly. "I want to be awake when they return."  
  
"Of course," Soun said. "But maybe…"  
  
"Ah the fair Akane Tendo." Out of the shadows, Kuno suddenly appeared. His arms and body were still bandaged but he managed to hold onto a small bouquet of flowers. "It is a more worthy day not that I have chanced upon you. Accept this token of my undying love."  
  
Soun and Genma got ready to jump in to protect Kuno from an assault by Akane. But instead, she reached forward and grabbed the flowers. "They're very nice," she said with a smile. Soun and Genma paled.  
  
"Your smile lights up my soul," Kuno replied. "But that I would have it for years to come at my side."  
  
Akane smiled a bit. "Perhaps," she said. She quickly held out a hand in Genma and Soun's direction. "I hear you are very wealthy," she continued. "Do you have a boat?"  
  
"A boat?" Kuno asked.  
  
"Yes, a ship of your own. One that might carry us away somewhere we wanted to or needed to go."  
  
Little light bulbs flickered atop of Soun and Genma's heads. Of course! Akane was merely negotiating them a ride to Kurast. At least…  
  
"Ah, of course!" Kuno said. "Come I will let you inspect it." He took her arm and began to drag her towards the docks.  
  
"That's my girl," Soun said, somewhat unsure of himself.  
  
"Yeah, she was… ah… she was a real good actress."  
  
"She had me fooled too!"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Let's go get in another round of go before the others get back."  
  
"Right, Saotome!"  
  
Akane carefully looked over her shoulder at the two retreating male figures. She smiled wickedly. As they passed an alleyway, Akane ignored whatever Kuno was saying and nodded to the darkness.  
  
As soon as they were gone, Herb stepped out with a smile. The doll was working like a dream. They wouldn't know what hit them.  
  
* * *  
  
"I have a really bad feeling about this," Ukyo said as they walked into the empty tomb.  
  
"I don't know why," Ryoga said gruffly. "It looks like the last twenty temples we went through."  
  
"Yeah but they were all crawling with monsters."  
  
"Shh…" Shampoo said. "Monster come if assassin and pig-boy not quiet."  
  
"Who are you calling pig-boy!" Ryoga yelled. The group cringed as the sound echoed through the empty hallways. "Sorry," Ryoga whispered as they all turned to glare at him.  
  
But it was too late. In the distance came the noise of feet running across the sandstone halls. Accompanying it was the unmistakable sound of slithering and finally the dragging of cloth.  
  
"Skeleton, vipers and mummies," Shampoo said, picking out each of the noises. "Three dozen."  
  
"We can make a run for it," Ukyo said.  
  
"Right," Ranma said. "Mousse block the main hallway, we can take a few of the side rooms and have you cast Bone wall to prevent them from following us."  
  
"What happens if they come from the other way," Ukyo asked.  
  
Ranma unsheathed his sword. "That's where Ryoga and I come in."  
  
Ryoga's face split into a huge smile. He gripped his axe tightly. "Finally," he said.  
  
* * *  
  
Akane finally managed to pick herself up from crying on the ground. She sniffled as she forced herself to walk. What was she going to do? She couldn't go back to the camp and there was no way that she was going to let them drag back to be Kuno's bride. She didn't know of a caravan heading back to the west anytime soon. There was no where to run!  
  
She stepped out of the alleyway and realized she was by the docks. There were two ships docked there. One was very obviously freight vessel, the other was more luxurious probably the royal ship.  
  
Cautiously, Akane approached the beat up ship. Maybe she could buy passage from them. There were a few moving figures on it and she hoped that one of them might be able to help her.  
  
As Akane boarded the ship, doll-Akane led Kuno down the stretch of docks.  
  
"Which one is it?" doll-Akane asked.  
  
"Well that one, of course," Kuno motioned to lavishly decorated ship. "Would you like to see it?"  
  
Doll-Akane almost refused but out of the corner of her eye, she suddenly saw the real Akane, making her way up the gangplank of the freight ship. "Yes, let's' go get a closer look of your ship," she said pushing Kuno along quickly.  
  
"Hello!" Akane called out as she landed on the deck.  
  
"Hello yourself."  
  
Akane jumped. She looked around but couldn't see anyone. "Where are you?" she asked.  
  
"Look up!"  
  
Akane looked up just in time to see a figure spiraling down towards her. She jumped out of the way and almost fell overboard but a strong arm grabbed her.  
  
"Woah, sorry about that," he said. Akane regained her balance and focused on the man in front of her. He had the most piercing blue eyes she had ever seen.  
  
"No, no, it's my fault, I'm bothering you in your work…"  
  
"Are you crying?" he asked.  
  
Akane looked up and shook her head. "No, no… it was just sand in my eyes."  
  
"Ah… so what can I do for you Ms…."  
  
"Akane," she replied.  
  
"Shinnosuke," he said with a smile. "So Akane, how can the crew of the Nero-gia be of assistance to you?"  
  
"Actually… I was wondering. Do you have room for any passenger?"  
  
Shinnosuke frowned slightly. "We don't take passengers but maybe… maybe grandfather can find a place for you in the crew. Come on, I'll introduce you."  
  
Akane nodded and followed him down into the bowels of the ship. Behind her, doll-Akane led Kuno away and back to camp.  
  
"So did you enjoy my ship?" he asked.  
  
"It was a most productive visit," she said with a smile.  
  
* * *  
  
"Cast it again!"  
  
Mousse concentrated and cast the Bone Wall again. It quickly patched up the holes being caused the relentless attack of the horde.  
  
"Come back!" Shampoo cried. "Need Mousse here to figure out wall!"  
  
Mousse ran back to the wall and continued tracing where he had left off. "And all those who seek the knowledge of Tal Rasha need but utter the word of servitude and…"  
  
"MOUSSE! BONE WALL!"  
  
Mousse stood up and ran back to the door. He cast the bone wall and then returned to the wall.  
  
"…utter the word of servitude and be granted admittance. That's it!"  
  
"MOUSSE!"  
  
He stood up and ran back towards the bone wall, casting another coating to it.  
  
"What answer!" Shampoo cried.  
  
"It's really simple actually," Mousse said. "Based on the…"  
  
"MOUSSE!!"  
  
He almost cast Bone Wall again before he realized they were yelling at him to hurry up. "Ferita," he said. "Same as the symbol of this tem…"  
  
His sentence was drowned out as the wall shimmered and was replaced with a portal. It filled the dank cave with its blue light and filtered through the holes in the bonewall. The monsters behind it renewed their attack, realizing the pray was about to escape.  
  
"GO!" Ranma screamed.  
  
They quickly scrambled through the new portal and disappeared into the light.  
  
When they reappeared on the other side, they all had pretty much the same thought. They should have stayed with the normal monsters.  
  
* * *  
  
"So you'll repel any sea monster attack."  
  
"Yes sir," Akane said. "I really appreciate this."  
  
The elderly grandfather nodded. "Yes well, our resident mage was eaten last tri… I mean, retired."  
  
Shinnosuke smiled slight. "Nice one, gramps."  
  
"MEGATON PUNCH!"  
  
Shinnosuke went sprawling backwards. "Now," grandfather said taking a seat again, "This will not be an easy trip. And you will have to pull your weight."  
  
"I understand," Akane said.  
  
The grandfather nodded and sat back into his seat. "We're leaving the hour. Is that enough time."  
  
"Yes," Akane said softly. "I don't have to get anything from shore."  
  
He looked at her. "No, I don't suppose you do. Shinnosuke!"  
  
"Eh…" came the somewhat quivering ball of man.  
  
"Take Akane to her quarters and promise that you'll look after her. I don't want to rest of the crew to get any ideas."  
  
"Right," Shinnosuke said. "Come Akane, there's an empty bunk next to mine."  
  
"Ah… okay," Akane said following him. Shinnosuke's grandfather watched them as they left and shook his head. Well, his ship had carried misfits before. Though for the life of him, he couldn't believe that that young girl had been anything but an angel.  
  
* * *  
  
"Here it comes again!" Ranma cried as he leapt backwards. Landing on the wall, he pushed forward, using his sword to slash through the tentacle. It exploded in a wave of green slime.  
  
"Look out!" Ryoga called, seeing the second tentacle swing behind him. With a roar, he let his axe fly and split the tentacle in two.  
  
"Now!" Ukyo cried. Shampoo stood up quickly, grabbing Ukyo leg and giving her a push upward. The young assassin flipped in the air and landed on the head of the monstrous beast. With a battle cry, she began to pummel it. Distracted by the foe on its head, the monster sent its tentacles back up towards its head.  
  
Shampoo, Ryoga and Ranma took their cue and charged the body, slashing into the meaty flesh. The creature roared and the air around them got very cold.  
  
"WATCH OUT!" Mousse cried, realizing what was about to happen.  
  
He had one shot at this. At least the target was huge. He should be able to hit it…  
  
The air shimmered as both began to cast their spells. Around the beast the air started to get heavier and tiny ice crystals began to form. Around Mousse, the air got colder as well but it was a different type of cold, the coldness that surrounds a new corpse. His robes began to billow as he repeated the words of the spell. It was a bit of a race to see who would cast first. While the melee fighters hacked away, none could score a kill shot.  
  
Suddenly the world around Mousse seemed to stand still. A second later a huge bone spear appeared and flew forward. It hit the beast with such a force that the end shattered into a million pieces.  
  
The beast lost all its concentration and its spell broke. It began to throw its body back and forth in death throws. Ukyo flew off first but her agility allowed her to merely flip off the wall and land softly on the ground.  
  
With a shuddering sign, the creature fell and was still, dead at last. The heroes looked around to make sure they were all still standing. There were at least five minutes of silence as they tried to decipher what had happened.  
  
"What was it?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"Its name was Duriel. And you have done the world a great good by defeating it."  
  
The group turned and watched as a mystical light filled the dark cavern. They were momentarily blinded by it but as soon as their vision cleared, they saw what the source of the light was.  
  
A beautiful woman floated down from the ceiling, using two majestic wings to slow her descent. She was clad in silver armor, a large sword hung at her side. Her brown hair was short and when she smiled, it filled their hearts with a motherly sense of love.  
  
"But you are too late to catch the evil that came here. Diablo has already fled and he has taken his brother Baal with him."  
  
"Ball?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Baal," the woman said, pronouncing each letter. "The two brothers of evil will seek out the third and the three of them will bring terror to this world. You must stop them."  
  
"But why us?" Ranma asked.  
  
"It has been prophesized that you all shall," she said. "Some of you know that," she said looking at Ukyo and Ryoga. "Some of you have denied it," she said looking at Mousse and Shampoo. "But the truth is that you are all destined to fight this evil. That is why it has hunted you. And why they continue to hunt you."  
  
Her arms moved slowly into a circle a portal formed. "Go back to town and collect your group. You will need to travel on the path you have chosen. Across the sea is your next task."  
  
The group looked at the portal. They weren't all too sure what she meant but the thought of going home seemed almost too appealing. Ryoga broke first, walking through the portal. Shampoo and Mousse were second. Ukyo cast one look at Ranma before she went through herself.  
  
"You look familiar," he said.  
  
The angel smiled. "Of course I do," she said. "Ranma, you must go now but please… please watch over my youngest child. She is losing her way and I fear you are the only one who can help her."  
  
"Your…"  
  
"Go Ranma, hurry before it's too late."  
  
Propelled by a force he could no explain, Ranma moved through the portal. A second later he found himself in Lut Gholeim.  
  
"Ranma!" Ukyo waved as she ran over to him. "Ranma, over here!" Ranma nodded and ran to meet her. "Everyone's at the camp! Akane managed to get Kuno to lend us his boat! We're going to leave as soon as we're ready."  
  
"Ah, yeah," Ranma said, following her back to camp. He couldn't shake the angel's words though. Youngest daughter? What did she mean?  
  
"Hello Ranma."  
  
"Oh… hey Akane," he said as she walked up to him. She looked over a Ukyo with an icy glare and for whatever reason, Ukyo decided it would be best to move on.  
  
"I heard you fought well," Akane said, her eyes examining him quietly.  
  
"Yeah… I guess that amulet came in handy."  
  
"Amulet?" Akane asked.  
  
"Yeah," Ranma said confused. "The amulet you…"  
  
"HEY! Ranma, Akane, get a move on it!" Ryoga called. "Ship is leaving now!"  
  
Ranma turned to say something more to Akane but she was already walking away. With a shrug, he put off his concerns to battle weariness.  
  
As he walked with them towards the dock, he saw the beautiful ship in dock. It seemed a bit silly to have such a large dock for a single ship. Yet if he strained his eyes, he could almost make out another ship on the far horizon. 


	15. Interlude Two - Across the Sea

Interlude 2 – Across the Sea  
  
  
  
"Hey, Akane, are you up?"  
  
Akane's eyes fluttered open. The gentle rocking and the complete darkness made it seem like she was in a cradle. But the gentle knocking by her head, reminded her of her real location.  
  
With a yawn, she pulled at the curtain until she could see who was waking her up. They alarms weren't ringing so it wasn't an emergency. It could only mean that…  
  
"It's your turn for watch."  
  
Akane nodded at the crewman and let the curtain drop. Judging from the way she felt, it was probably the middle of the night again. She leaned forward, careful not to hit her head and grabbed the hefty jacket the Shinnosuke had lent her. She could have just used warmth but over the past two weeks at sea, she had learned that she needed to have all her mana at full capacity all the time.  
  
Slipping out of the bunk, she carefully landed on the floor. Looking up and down the berth, she saw a half dozen other sailors getting up from their sleep. The gimbaled tables were steady as they all sat down for a small breakfast.  
  
Akane was careful not to put her elbows on the table, something she had learned her first day there. Her weight had pushed the table one way sending flatware flying. No one had gotten upset. They just kind of laughed for a bit and picked the stuff up. Shinnosuke had told her that they all did at one some point in their lives.  
  
Speak of the devil, Akane thought, there he is.  
  
"Morning, Shinnosuke," she said with a smile. She got a half-yawn, half- nod in return.  
  
"Damn but she's always so perky when she gets up."  
  
"Natural coffee flowing through her veins."  
  
"Nah, just fire boys. A little fire-spark over there."  
  
Akane smiled. The gentle jibbing of her crewmates had bothered her at first but back then she had still been unsure of how she was going to fit in as the only girl on a ship of men. But strangely they had behaved themselves. She wanted to believe it was from her power as a sorceress but more than likely it was because Shinnosuke's grandfather had given them all a strong warning.  
  
With breakfast done, the watch went up on deck to relieve their comrades. Akane grabbed the rigging and climbed up the crow's nest.  
  
"Time to sleep," she said to the sailor there. He grunted, apparently half asleep already and climbed down. She nestled in her watch position and looked to the stern of the ship to see if she catch a glimpse at the ship that had been following them since they left Lut Gholein. No one seemed to worried about it but something about it made Akane always look to make sure it was directly behind them.  
  
Maybe they had come after her… maybe… maybe she was just dreaming. With a sigh, she realized it was too dark to see anything. She turned to the bow and opened her ears to the sea and watched the darkness.  
  
* * *  
  
"This is the life," Mousse said as he sat back on the cushioned seat. "All I need is a few harem girls to feed me." He looked over at Shampoo who was enjoying some lunch.  
  
"No even think about it," she said and turned away.  
  
"Well I don't like it," Ryoga said as he sat on the wooden floor.  
  
"You wouldn't," Ukyo said walking up to them. "You can't be anywhere but the middle of ship without risking getting wet."  
  
Ryoga grunted. "That's not what I meant."  
  
Ukyo smiled. "Oh, you mean the fact that Akane has ignored you since she got on board?"  
  
"That's not it…"  
  
"Ryoga no feel bad," Shampoo interjected. "Akane no talk to no one, not Ryoga, not Mousse, not Ukyo, not Shampoo, not Genma, not father…"  
  
"Not Ranma," Ukyo finished.  
  
"Like you mind that," Ryoga said.  
  
Ukyo's eyes flashed mischievously. "Jealous, sugar?"  
  
Ryoga grunted. "Not even close," he said.  
  
She leaned close. "Oh, and I was going to play harem girl and feed you grapes and…"  
  
"I'll take his place!" Mousse said from his seat. Shampoo shot a look over at him that would have killed if he could have seen it.  
  
"Well maybe time Shampoo go find Ranma," she said.  
  
"Ah, I was just on my way to see him," Ukyo said suddenly standing up, leaving Ryoga gawking.  
  
They looked at each other. Then a second later the two took off.  
  
"Okay," Mousse said with a sigh. "I give up. What do they see in him?"  
  
Ryoga shook his head and stood up. "I haven't got the faintest idea. But I'm going to go find Akane."  
  
With a sigh, Mousse sat back into the seat, waited for a few moments, and then got up to find Shampoo.  
  
* * *  
  
Shampoo quickly ran below deck, reaching the first underground level of the luxury ship. Looking around, she only saw the empty ornate hallways. With a sigh she was about to head upstairs when she came face to face with Akane.  
  
Shampoo tried not to jump but the other girl had taken her completely by surprise. Akane's face began to smile.  
  
"Are you okay?" doll-Akane asked pleasantly. "You look… pale."  
  
Shampoo's brow furrowed. "Shampoo fine."  
  
Doll-Akane nodded and pushed her way past Shampoo. "Well, I'm just taking a walk."  
  
Shampoo watched her start to walk off. "Wait!" she called. "Akane see Ranma?"  
  
Doll-Akane turned and smiled. "You want to see Ranma?"  
  
Shampoo bristled. "No want to see Ranma, just need to know where Ranma is."  
  
Doll-Akane nodded. "Of course… it's funny though. Just when I started to see your game, that you would want to change it."  
  
"Game?"  
  
"Hard to get," Doll-Akane said. "Ignore him half the time to make him want you more. It's such an elegant strategy, not really normal though. I guess I expected you to do the opposite."  
  
Shampoo didn't move a muscle. "What you mean?"  
  
"Well, it's just I thought you'd put up more of a fight."  
  
"No need to put up fight. Ranma say he marry Shampoo. Ranma will marry Shampoo."  
  
"That's what he told me too," Doll-Akane said sadly. "But then he goes on and on about Ukyo. How they were great friends growing up. How good a cook she was. So I realized, I should try playing it your way. Cool and collected. But I don't think its working. I guess I'll go back to doting fiancée again." With a shrug, she started to walk away.  
  
"Akane never doting fiancée," Shampoo said as Akane disappeared. She paused and let the words sink in. And then she decided to go find Ukyo.  
  
* * *  
  
Ukyo looked into the kitchen. She took a chance by skipping the first level on the ship but hope Ranma would follow his stomach here. Unfortunately, the place was completely empty.  
  
She turned to leave and suddenly came face to face with Akane. With a little cry, she fell back.  
  
"I'm having quite an effect on people today," Doll-Akane said.  
  
"You scared me," Ukyo said unhappily. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Doll-Akane sighed. "Looking for Ranma. Have you seen him?"  
  
"Funny I was going to ask you the same question."  
  
Doll-Akane pouted. "Great, he must have gone off to find Shampoo."  
  
"Why would he want to talk to Shampoo?"  
  
"I don't know, something about how much he respects her for her fighting skills and how he realizes she's the perfect woman. I was so upset when he told me that, I haven't spoken to him since we got on board."  
  
"He said that about Shampoo?"  
  
"Yeah, who knew the Amazon had it in her. She was quiet about it the whole time but then suddenly it hit him." Akane shrugged. "Well, I'm going to keep looking for him. You want to come?"  
  
"Me?" Ukyo asked. "No way, I'm going to find that purple-haired bimbo and have a talk with her."  
  
* * *  
  
Ryoga stumbled around the stern of the ship. Well… this looked familiar. Could it be the fact that he had already passed by this place twelve times?  
  
"Ryoga-man, just stop. You're making me dizzy."  
  
Turning around, Ryoga saw Ranma crouched in the shadows. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Sitting here," Ranma said. "Watching you make an ass out of yourself."  
  
Ryoga glared at him. "So where's Akane?"  
  
That apparently hit him harder than it should have. "I don't know. Wandering around." Ranma paused. "Ryoga, can I ask you a serious question?" Ryoga looked at his rival and shifted from foot to foot before he finally nodded. "Do you notice anything different about Akane?"  
  
Ryoga started to answer but a sweet voice called him from nearby. "Ryoga!!" He watched as a smiling Akane came towards him.  
  
"There you are!" she said, running up and grabbing his arm affectionately. "Come on, I want to talk to you." His face split into a happy smile.  
  
"Akane?" Ranma said standing up and facing her.  
  
Doll-Akane looked over at him with no emotion. "Yes?"  
  
"I… I…"  
  
Doll-Akane sighed. "See Ryoga, this is exactly what I'm talking about. He's too wishy-washy for me. No sense of duty or honor. So unlike you." Ryoga looked a bit perplexed and then pretty happy. "I'm so glad that you decided to protect me from him."  
  
Ryoga was still grinning like a fool when he felt Ranma's aura go dark. "You BASTARD!" Ranma cried.  
  
Ryoga blinked out of his fantasy. "What? Wait a minute, I never…"  
  
Doll-Akane smiled. "No need to lie, Ryoga-chan," she said with a smile. "We can tell him the truth now."  
  
Ryoga pushed Akane away. "Now, hang on a sec…"  
  
The first blow landed in his ribs. By the time the second blow made contact he realized he was really in trouble. But Ryoga refused to lose the Ranma. He would win this fight.  
  
* * *  
  
Shampoo and Ukyo met each other mid-ship. "Well, if it's my dear Amazon friend," Ukyo said with a harsh tone. "I take it Ranma found you."  
  
"How Ranma find Shampoo when he running after half-naked Assassin!"  
  
"Don't play that with me! I should known what you were up to! Your lack of interest in Ranma was just a ploy. You've been seducing him the whole time."  
  
"Assassin talk funny for girl who do exact thing!"  
  
"God, you can't even talk decently! Did you use that as a ploy too?"  
  
"Ukyo making fun of Shampoo talk?"  
  
"Damn straight I am!"  
  
There was a clash of steel that threatened to drown up the noises of the restless sea and almost masked the terrified yell that came out of Ryoga's mouth as he landed next to the two girls. They didn't bother to stop fighting as he landed. A second later, Ranma showed up but even that did not deter the battle.  
  
Mousse ran up onto the deck, attracted by the noise and was surprised to see most of his companions trying to rip each other shreds. Even Genma and Soun left their go game to see what the commotion is.  
  
"Akane!" Soun called out seeing his daughter standing near the fighting crowd. "What's going on?"  
  
Doll-Akane turned towards the adults and started to cry. "Oh daddy, it was horrible. Ranma went crazy and tried to force himself on me."  
  
"WHAT?" Soun cried.  
  
"Impossible!" Genma retorted. "My son would never do that!"  
  
"Are you calling my daughter a liar!"  
  
Doll-Akane's tears vanished and a smile slowly crept up on her face as Genma and Soun came to blows. This was going all too well.  
  
But there was one thing that Akane had forgotten to factor in, mainly because he should have never been a threat. He was weak, he was blind and he should have never been able to…  
  
The air around her started to get very cold. Looking around, she frantically searched for the necromancer. She saw him kneeling on the ground, meditating and sending his spell out like snakes slithering through the grass.  
  
Mousse knew something was wrong but he couldn't see it. The only thing he could do was cast a search spell to find the evil. Suddenly he realized it was coming right for him. His vision was horrible but he could make a figure that looked like a young woman with brown hair and…  
  
Suddenly she had him in a strangle hold. His air supply slowly started to run out. It was a good thing that Shampoo had taught him a few self defense moves during their travels.  
  
Turning his head quickly to the side he let the rest of the air out of his pipe to avoid chocking. He brought his arm around hers and pushed them until she leaned to the side. Then he slammed his elbow into her face.  
  
Doll-Akane tripped backwards and fell to the ground. Mousse gasped for air for several moments and then searched for her fuzzy figure. Locking on, he began to chant again, trying to feel what curse had been inflicted on Akane. But what he realized what even more shocking.  
  
Doll-Akane regained her balance and looked towards Mousse. She saw him chanting something new and realized that she was in a lot of trouble.  
  
"Pritacti fordari Golem imari. Pritacti fordari Golem imari. Pritacti fordari Golem imari."  
  
Doll-Akane's visage began to flicker and fade as she reverted back to her Golem form. The clay doll looked over at Mousse with pure hatred. Oh, this was going to hurt…  
  
Mousse started backwards, trying to cast a few Bone Spears but kept missing. The Golem was moving with a speed that Mousse could not match with his back pedaling. She was going to catch him, or probably kill him, in a matter of seconds.  
  
Just as the Golem reared its arms up to strike, a glint of steel pierced its chest. The Golem screamed as the sword pulled upward and almost split him in two. The sword came down again on the opposite side, slicing through the clay. Then a strong foot landed a blow on its ribs, sending the Golem over the side and into the water. After few seconds of struggling, the Golem dissolved.  
  
Kuno looked over the side at his handiwork and then back at Mousse. "By the Gods," he cried, "does trouble follow you people everywhere?"  
  
"Something like that," Mousse said, straightening his robe. "Do me a favor, lead me towards the rest of the group. I think it's time to separate them."  
  
* * *  
  
From inside their Bone Wall cages, the former enemies listened as Mousse filled them in on what happened. Kuno had returned to guiding the ship towards Kurast, a goal which had suddenly become much more important.  
  
"So it was never the real Akane, just a Golem doll that replicated her. They probably used the things they saw through our Akane's eyes to train the Golem how to act."  
  
"The amulet," Ranma said with a sigh. "I should have realized when she… it didn't recognize the amulet Akane had given me. Akane was wearing the blindfold when she gave it to me."  
  
"Yes well," Mousse said, "I think we all had some inkling that something was wrong. But what does not make sense is why you all went after each other."  
  
"I think I know," Ukyo said with a heavy sigh. "The Assassins have a toxin that induces a rage like this. And from the sounds of it, Akane came in contact with each of us. Then she planted the idea of who we should go after."  
  
"How can you be so sure?" Soun asked from behind his wall.  
  
Ukyo was silent for a moment. "They've already used Assassin methods. Akane was trapped in the Shadow world by one of our high level spells. It's not hard to believe they got a hand on this toxin. And I think I might know how they got it…"  
  
"How?" Mousse asked.  
  
Ukyo was silent again. "There was an incident involving a traitor in the Assassins guild. She swapped normal poison for this rage inducing toxin causing… causing the guild large problems."  
  
The group was silent, knowing that Ukyo wasn't telling the whole truth but at the same too exhausted to really push the matter.  
  
"Saotome," Soun said finally. "I'm sorry about…"  
  
"No Tendo it was my fault."  
  
"Ryoga…"  
  
"Don't even say it Ranma, I would have done the same."  
  
"Shampoo I…"  
  
"Not say anything. Shampoo know. Doll-Akane was not real but she show all of us real selves." It was true, they realized. The Doll-Akane had acted based on what their enemies had seen through the real Akane's eyes. Doll- Akane knew exactly what their true fears were.  
  
Soun realized it was that he was going to lose his daughter to Ranma. She had always been his innocent daughter, the youngest one. Because she had not known her mother, Akane had and would always be daddy's little girl. The mere thought that Ranma had somehow changed her innocence…  
  
For Genma, it was that his son would act without the honor he had worked so hard to instill in him. It wasn't as selfish as it sounded. In the end, Genma had truly believed he was doing this for his son's future. Or maybe as penance for his less than honorable life so far.  
  
Ukyo was afraid of losing Ranma because every since the day he had left her, he was all she had searched for. Her life, her profession, everything tied someway back to him. And never had she considered the she might even lose him.  
  
Shampoo feared betraying her Amazon tradition by not successfully marrying a strong male chosen out by her grandmother. But it occurred to her, it was never about him, it was always about her and what she felt was her duty to do. But in the end, was it even what she wanted?  
  
Finally, Ryoga was afraid that Ranma would eventually beat him. For Akane, in this quest, somehow Ranma would better him. And in trying to always catch up, he had already lost. The man who follows the path of another will never be a leader.  
  
But all their internal reflections were nothing compared to what Ranma was feeling. He wasn't afraid of losing to Ryoga, that's not what had spurned his anger. He was truly afraid of losing Akane. Why, he had no idea. All they did was fight. She tended to cast fireballs at him all the time. Sure they had been through a lot and he worried about her but…  
  
Somehow it became clear that the prison of Bone Wall was nothing compared to the prison of their own weaknesses. The faceless enemy had done this to weaken them, to tear them apart and they almost succeeded. No spell, no weapon, no armor could have saved them. It was only luck that Mousse and Kuno had escaped the Golem's spell.  
  
"So," Mousse said, breaking the silence, "now only one question remains. Where is the real Akane?"  
  
* * *  
  
"AKANE! Port side!!"  
  
Akane ran up from the crew quarters and onto the deck. She saw it almost immediately, a long serpentine creature rising from the depth of the ocean. She cursed as she saw it approaching to ram the ship. A smile curled her lip, she was really developing a sailors mouth.  
  
She waited until it got close and then began to cast her spell. An Inferno sprang from her hands and rammed into the beast's chest, tearing through it. It reared backwards and quickly disappeared into the water.  
  
The crew began to cheer around her and she gave them a small bow. This was a good life. She was respected and needed and no one called her names or…  
  
"Akane-san," Shinnosuke said, grabbing her shoulder. "That was really good."  
  
She smiled a bit but wavered on her feet. "Sorry, I think I…"  
  
"I'll go get you some mana potions," Shinnosuke said. Akane nodded and watched him go.  
  
So yeah, there was also Shinnosuke to make her life happy too. He took care of her, he made her laugh but… Akane sighed. He was nothing more than a friend to her. Stupid Ranma, why didn't he just get out of her mind?  
  
"Storm! There's a storm brewing to the East!" Akane's head whipped around and she started at the darkening sky. That was odd.  
  
Shinnosuke returned and gave her the potions. "That's not natural," he said watching the storm. "I'm going to get my grandfather. Go get your storm gear on."  
  
Akane nodded and headed below. She pulled the gear from her bunk and strapped it on before running back up. The entire crew was up bringing down the sails of the ship. Shinnosuke was talking with his grandfather. He saw her and motioned for her to join them.  
  
"It's not natural," his grandfather was saying. "Akane can you…"  
  
"There's magic in the area," she said. "I can feel it. But it's not like my magic…"  
  
"A druid could conjure this up," Shinnosuke said. Akane's heart stopped. Genma?  
  
But his grandfather shook his head. "No, not a druid. Something darker. And it's heading straight for us."  
  
As if the answer him the sky suddenly turned dark and rain burst forth, drenching them in a matter of seconds. Akane could barely see in front of her but she felt something wrap around her. Looking down, she realized that Shinnosuke had just harnessed her to the side of the ship.  
  
"Stay here," he said firmly before he took off. Akane looked over at his grandfather but the old man was concentrated on steering his ship.  
  
Looking forward, she realized she couldn't even see the bow of the ship. There was a lot of movement in between the stern and the ship but she couldn't see what they doing. It looked frantic and she realized that they were having trouble with the sails.  
  
A gust of wind grabbed the sail and threw it upward, causing several crewmen to go sprawling at the deck. It seemed to go on forever, this battle between the crew and the sails but they finally managed to get them under control.  
  
The storm seemed aggravated at their success. Thunder boomed around them, shaking the ship itself. The waves began to grow, tossing the ship from side to side. Akane slipped and fell the ground. A wave grabbed her and threatened to pull her over the side. But the harness caught and pulled her back, slamming her into the side of the steering wheel.  
  
"Are you okay?" grandfather asked.  
  
Akane nodded. "I think…" She paused as the sky lit up with a lightning strike. It danced among the dark clouds before disappearing. But there was one cloud that seemed a bit odd.  
  
"Akane?"  
  
She waited until the next lightning to confirm her fears. As soon as it struck, she turned pale. "Land!" she screamed and pointed. He looked where she was pointing. He was about to disagree when the sky lit up again.  
  
He cursed. "Help me," he said. Akane looked at him with a puzzled expression. "HELP ME!" He screamed and then started ringing the bell next to him. Akane jumped up and grabbed part of the wheel. They began to turn it to one side as Shinnosuke came up next to them and helped.  
  
He never said a word, just grabbed the wheel and kept turning. He crushed her hands several times but neither of them said anything. The wheel finally locked in place but it seemed like the ship wasn't moving at all.  
  
Suddenly the ground underneath them shook. There was the sound of tearing wood and the floor suddenly shifted.  
  
"The rudder! It's caught on the shoals!" Shinnosuke cried. The wheel suddenly left their hands as the floor cracked in too.  
  
"Abandon ship!!" his grandfather cried. "Abandon ship!!"  
  
Akane tried to get away but her harness held her fast. She hit the ground hard and watched with terror as the ship split in two, one side taking her with it and away from the two men.  
  
It quickly began to sank and Akane' struggled with the harness but couldn't get it off. She felt the water lapping at her feet and her struggles intensified. Desperate, she tried spells but they were all extinguished immediately.  
  
Suddenly she was under the water. It was strange how peaceful it was under here. There was no thunder, no rain, no chaos. As the boat began to pull her down, everything started to get dark and Akane found herself being welcomed into the peaceful embrace of the sea. 


	16. Act 3, Quest 1 : The Golden Figurine

Author's Note: Hmmm… people have been asking about Happosai and truth be told I had him slated for something a little bit further down. But then I actually had an inspiration and decided to move it up a bit. Try to guess where he is.  
  
A special note for Diablo fans… I HATE Flayers. I mean I really really really hate them with a passion. Therefore for the next six chapters or so will be my way of gaining retribution against those little @!#!$#  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
The breaths came ragged at first. Her lips were dry and crusted over with salt. Akane's fingers clutching the rich dirt that she lay on as her body was wracked with another series of coughs. Her eyes refused to open, as if she was afraid to break this reality. If I open my eyes, she thought, I'll still be under water.  
  
She felt something warm against her face and the darkness slowly started to fade. Reluctantly, she gave in and let her eyes blink open. She was staring at a green canopy, the sunlight of a new day was pushing through the leaves. Carefully, she pushed herself off the ground and tried to stand.  
  
She regretted it immediately and she sank back to her knees as dizziness threatened to overwhelm her. She wrapped her arms around her arms, realizing that she had been stripped of most of her clothes by the storm. The skin around her ribs hurt and looking down, she saw what remained of the harness. It looked like someone had ripped through it with their teeth!  
  
There was a rustling in the trees and Akane went on full alert. She tried to stand up to prepare to fight. But she was still too weak. And a second later, she felt a dozen forms descend on her. She curled up into a ball to protect herself and moments later she was unconscious again.  
  
* * *  
  
The dock man caught the rope and secured to the wooden post. The ship pulled towards the dock and gentle hit it. The man finished tying his knot and signaled to the captain.  
  
"We have arrived at our destination," Kuno said to the group assembled on the deck. There was a general murmur of thanks as they slowly descended down the gangplank. The night was almost over and they were all weary from their journey.  
  
"Welcome to Kurast!" A tall man made his way over to them holding a lantern. "We don't usually get visitors so early. Dawn has not broken yet. But I am glad you have arrived safely."  
  
"We thank you for your hospitality," Kuno said. "I am Tatewaki Kuno, leader of Lut Gholeim. "  
  
"Tofu Ono, leader of Kurast. Or what's left of it at any rate," he said with a small smile.  
  
"It is a honor to meet you," Kuno said. "I wish our welcome were as energetic as your own but we are all tired from our journey. Is there an inn that we may secure lodging in?"  
  
"Of course, follow me." Tofu said.  
  
Kuno looked behind him and made sure the rest of the group was following. Slowly, Tofu led them away from the dock and onto a stone road that bordered the sea. "Tell me, have any other ships docked here recently."  
  
Tofu paused. "Well, we were expecting a freight ship but she never showed up."  
  
"Any caravans by land?"  
  
"No, nothing can cross the land between the docks and Travincal."  
  
Kuno paused. Then his beloved Akane Tendo would not have come here. Still, it was odd that a town as prosperous as Kurast was so lacking in trade. He had sent almost forty ships himself last year here.  
  
Kuno then noticed the silence. Even this early in the morning, the town should have had been coming alive. The fisherman would return from their trips soon and the docks should be overrun with activity. But it was dead silent.  
  
As the sun rose in the east, he looked down and he watched his feet walk on uneven ground. Even more peculiar. A town as rich as this one should not have roads that were in need of repair. But the stone roads were cracked.  
  
"Tell me, Leader Ono…"  
  
"Tofu," he said.  
  
"Very well Leader Tofu. Why is it that Kurast is in such ill repair? And where are your people?"  
  
Tofu stopped and turned to Kuno. "I hesitated to ask you about Lut Gholeim but I am glad to know that this evil has no yet reached your shores." With a pause, he continued forward, taking the group away from the sea and towards the center of town.  
  
Before Kuno could ask him what he meant by his statement, he saw it first hand. Kurast, once beautiful and a center of financial activity of the continent, appeared to have been nearly destroyed. The proud buildings crumbled and left piles of stone at their base. The roads were not merely cracked but looked as if parts of them had been uprooted completely. People peered wearily out of windows as the group passed by, quickly disappearing if someone caught their eye.  
  
"What happened here?" Kuno asked. Tofu started to reply but he was interrupted by a female voice.  
  
"Simple. These people tried to fight back and they were almost destroyed. Just like Tristram."  
  
The group turned around quickly as a figure emerged out of the shadows. She was dressed in a black uniform, her short brown hair barely brushing her shoulders. Her eyes glittered with mischief and her arms were crossed against her chest.  
  
"Na… Nabiki?" Soun asked, pushing his way through the group.  
  
"Hi daddy," Nabiki said with a smile. She tried to maintain her aloof look but suddenly she found herself being crushed by her father's hug. It was soon afterwards that she was hugging him back.  
  
* * *  
  
"So what happened after you teleported?" Soun asked.  
  
Nabiki sighed and put down her glass of milk. She settled into her seat and looked at the assembled group. Genma, Soun and Kuno had just sat down with her to have some breakfast at the inn but it appeared her father wasn't going to let her eat until her story was told.  
  
"Kasumi and I decided to teleport before Tristram was completely consumed," Nabiki said. "We thought it would be safer to teleport ourselves as far away as possible. But we didn't do it together and she's much stronger than I am so I wasn't surprised that I didn't see her when I rematerialized. When I finally got my bearings, I realized I wasn't near Tristram anymore. In fact, I wasn't sure where I was.  
  
"I heard some sounds and decided to follow them. I recognized Kurast from some books I read a while back. Can you imagine my surprise? I wanted to teleport away from Tristram. I didn't expect it to be halfway across the world! Luckily, I knew quite a few people who were in Kurast so it took no time to get settled in. I wanted to send you some kind of message but it wasn't possible."  
  
"So what's with the uniform," Genma asked, pointing at her clothes.  
  
Nabiki smiled. "Let's just say, I moved my business from Tristram to here in record time."  
  
"Spying," Soun said softly.  
  
"Not at all," Nabiki said. "I merely gather information on things, especially those dark things that have been causing us so much trouble. I heard about the Rogue Encampment so I knew you were okay. I tried to get a message to Lut Gholeim but…"  
  
She paused and took a sip of her milk. "It was just like Tristram. A warning only a few seconds before the attack. We held them back, mainly thanks to fact that there are an ungodly number of magic based mercenaries based here." She put the glass down. "Since then, we've been trying to keep them away from this area."  
  
"And the rest of Kurast?" Kuno asked.  
  
Nabiki sighed. "It's been completely overrun. Outside of the walls we've erected is just endless jungle with a host of monsters roaming through it."  
  
"Wonderful," Genma said leaning back in his seat.  
  
"I'm sorry, Mr. Saotome," Nabiki said. "I know that you were looking for a cure for your and Ranma's curses." She paused. "Still… there may be a way." Genma's eyes widened but Soun wasn't quite as excited. If he knew his daughter, there was going to be some heavy money involved.  
  
"There's a potion dealer in town," she said, "who has a potion that can remove one curse from anyone. But… he has a high price."  
  
"Here we go," Soun said with a resigned sigh.  
  
Nabiki looked hurt. "Really Daddy."  
  
"Name the price," Kuno said with a wave of his hand. "Money is of no object to the leader of Lut Gholeim."  
  
Any look of hurt on Nabiki's suddenly disappeared and was replaced with greed. "Leader, eh? Kuno-baby, you and I are going to be great friends. But money isn't what he wants. It's the golden figurine and it's not something you can buy."  
  
"Here it comes," Soun said, with a knowing smile.  
  
"The owner of this figurine will trade it," Nabiki said. "But only in exchange for something that was lost during the battle."  
  
"What is it?" Genma asked.  
  
"A jade figurine of a little bird."  
  
"And where shall we find this bird?"  
  
Nabiki shrugged. "Somewhere out there."  
  
"Out there," Soun said. "Where there are, and I'm quoting you, 'a host of monsters roaming through it'. Nabiki, this isn't some elaborate scheme to…"  
  
"Daddy!" Nabiki cried. "Really! I would think that after all I've been through you'd realize that I've changed."  
  
Soun's face remained impassive but he finally sighed. "I'm sorry Nabiki. Go on."  
  
With a triumphant smile, Nabiki began to outline her plan.  
  
* * *  
  
Lying in bed, Ranma looked up at the thatched ceiling. In the two beds next to him, he could hear Ryoga snoring loudly and Mousse repeating something that he probably shouldn't be hearing. It wasn't there distractions that were keeping him awake.  
  
He kept replaying the scene from the boat over and over in his mind, trying to see what had happened. It was worse each time because each time he saw his mistakes in more and more detail. If only he had stopped them from boarding the ship. If only he had listened to his instincts. If only he had realized that it wasn't Akane. If only…  
  
He sighed, picking up the necklace from around his neck and looking at the small fragment of the helmet as it twirled in the semi-darkness. He wondered where she was and if she was all right. It had never occurred to him before that she wasn't because he knew Akane and she wouldn't do anything that might hurt her.  
  
Of course, she had charged into a few battles before thinking. And she had been hurt in Lut Gholeim by that monster. And she had made a deal with those demons that had resulted in her being trapped in a shadow world that almost trapped her for eternity.  
  
Yeah, there was nothing to worry about.  
  
* * *  
  
"Shampoo?"  
  
"Mmmhmmm??"  
  
"Shampoo are you awake?"  
  
"Mhmmmm…"  
  
"I wanted to ask you something," Ukyo said leaning over her bed and facing the purple-haired Amazon. "It's about Ranma and… SHAMPOO!"  
  
"What!" she said shooting out of bed. Shampoo looked over at Ukyo. "What about Ranma?"  
  
"Do you think… do you think I obsess about him too much?"  
  
Shampoo sighed and got comfortable in bed again. "No right way to answer question."  
  
"What?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"If Shampoo say yes, assassin think Shampoo lying so can get Ranma for self. If Shampoo say no, then not answering Ukyo's question truthfully."  
  
Ukyo sighed. "I see. It's just… well, come on, why do you want to marry him?"  
  
Shampoo looked over at her. "Is simple. In Rouge camp, great-grandmother says Ranma stronger than Shampoo and would lead group. Amazon need strong husband and Ranma strongest man Shampoo know."  
  
"Yeah but don't you love him?"  
  
Shampoo looked over. "He good man. Smart and strong. But Shampoo not love him. Not believe in love."  
  
"Really?" Ukyo said perking up. "You really believe that?"  
  
"Shampoo mom marry strong man she not love. All Shampoo tribe marry strong men they not love."  
  
"But what about Mousse! He's confessed his love every day."  
  
Shampoo frowned. "Is not love," she said firmly. "Is infa.. infr…"  
  
"Infatuation?" Ukyo said.  
  
"That word Shampoo need."  
  
"I guess," Ukyo said. "But I would have thought that a guy who followed you half way across the world would have to be more than just infatuated with you. And I would give anything to have a guy profess his undying love to me every day."  
  
"Then duck boy all yours."  
  
"Really?" Ukyo said. "Great! I mean, I've always thought Mousse was handsome and he's real smart. He'd make a perfect…" She slowed down as the Amazon's glare became more dangerous. Ukyo smiled. "Got you."  
  
Shampoo balked and hmphed at Ukyo. "Should have known. Ukyo so crazy over Ranma anyway would not want anyone else."  
  
Ukyo was silent for a moment. "It's strange, you know. When I was growing up with Ranma, I just knew we would be together forever. And when he left, he was all I could think of. Ten years consumed by this feeling that I had to get Ranma. All I needed was Ranma. But…"  
  
Shampoo's ears perked up. "But what?"  
  
"But I think I realized on the trip here, that our Ranma isn't the Ranma in my mind. It's like I made this image of him in my mind, this hateful person that I wouldn't mind killing. Only when I got here, it wasn't him."  
  
"Assassins train Ukyo too well," Shampoo said. "Is perfect technique, to make target bad person before killing him."  
  
Ukyo sighed and nestled back into bed. "I guess but then after I realized he was a good person, I thought that maybe… maybe…"  
  
"Ukyo get childhood back," Shampoo said.  
  
"What?" Ukyo asked looking over.  
  
Shampoo sighed. "Ranma from Ukyo past, past she no talk about with anyone on all trip. Can not be happy past if she only live so can kill Ranma. Now Ukyo know that Ranma not bad person and feel like wasted life. So try to get back some of… lost time. Make Ranma seven again and believe he still Ukyo best friend. Make like happy child again."  
  
Ukyo was silent. Shampoo sighed. "Shampoo not know all words to speak but not mean she dumb. " She pulled the cover over her body again. "But assassin think this Shampoo ploy to get Ranma," she said with a yawn. "So won't listen."  
  
Ukyo lay silently in bed for several moments. She looked over at Shampoo and saw that the Amazon had fallen asleep again. Ukyo sighed and folded her arms under her head. After a few moments of silence, she fell asleep too.  
  
* * *  
  
Ryoga woke up to an empty room. He tossed and turned, trying to catch the last few minutes of sleep before someone found him.  
  
"Hey, Ryoga! I saw you!"  
  
Ryoga groaned and covered his head with the blanket but found someone pulling at them. "Get up already!"  
  
With the urge to grab his axe suddenly rising, Ryoga shot up and glared at the person who was trying to get him up. Anyone else would have cowered at his glance but Mousse couldn't see it.  
  
"We're having some food and then we're off!"  
  
"Where?" Ryoga mumbled.  
  
"To find a cure for these curses!"  
  
Ryoga was suddenly fully awake. "What?"  
  
Mousse nodded and related the story Nabiki had given them. Ryoga finished strapping on his armor and reached over for his axe. "Come on," Ryoga said, grabbing Mousse's arm and dragging him down to meet the others.  
  
By the time they got there most of the food but Ryoga was able to get a decent sized meal in his stomach.  
  
"According to my sources," Nabiki was saying, "the Jade Figurine should be somewhere in the jungle just beyond Kurast. I would check monster liars since they like to horde this type of stuff."  
  
"Ah, Nabiki," Ranma asked. "Exactly what type of monsters are out there?"  
  
Nabiki looked at him innocently. "I have no idea. No one's ventured out since after the assault."  
  
"Great," Ranma said. "There just better not be any huge mummies."  
  
"Or any giant snakes," Ukyo said.  
  
"I'd love to just for once," Mousse said, "meet a monster that only came up to my knee."  
  
Ryoga laughed. "We'd just step on them. Squash."  
  
Ranma looked over as Ryoga devoured his food. "Some of us could have squashed those big monsters too."  
  
There were assorted chuckles until Ryoga looked up and realized what was going on. "HEY!" he yelled. But he wasn't serious. In fact, he was glad to hear them all laughing again.  
  
"Shampoo think we need move now," she said. "Get dark soon."  
  
"Right," Ranma said. "Let's move, unless Ryoga wants to have some more to eat."  
  
* * *  
  
The jungle seemed empty. The tropical birds had stopped chirping. The wind moved silently through the leaves. Even the forest life seemed to have gone into hibernation.  
  
Then suddenly a high pitched scream broke through the silence. It shattered the calm like an axe through glass. The birds broke from the trees and filled the sky, squawking as they flew as far away from the source of the noise as possible.  
  
Nearby, a group of adventures covered their ears.  
  
"By the GODS!" Ukyo cried as soon as it was done.  
  
"I never knew that a sound like could exist in nature," Ryoga said, gripping his axe tightly.  
  
"I didn't know that a guy could scream like that," Ranma said. "Well, unless he lost his… you know." He looked over at Mousse who was clutching onto Shampoo for dear life.  
  
"Get it away, get it away!" he screamed.  
  
Shampoo looked a bit ticked off at having the Necromancer clawing at her. "Duck boy stop now!" she said hitting him on the head her spear. But he didn't let go. Surprised, she tried it a couple of more times but nothing worked.  
  
Ukyo sighed and walked over. She leaned down and cupped her hands. "You think a guy who deals with the undead on a regular basis wouldn't be afraid of little spider." She walked away and through the bug into the nearby brush.  
  
Mousse finally calmed down and released Shampoo, who walked away from him quickly. "We go down into den know before duck boy make any more noise," she said motioning to the cave.  
  
Watching them descend, Ranma walked over to Mousse. "I thought you couldn't see."  
  
Mousse was still shivering. "I can see those," he said. "I sense them, those disgusting, nasty…"  
  
"Mousse," Ranma said. "It's a little insect. Who in his right mind would be afraid of…"  
  
"Meow," Mousse said. Ranma shivered and looked over at him angrily.  
  
"MOVE!" They heard Shampoo yell from inside the den.  
  
"Come on Mousse," Ranma said. "I bet there won't be any more spiders in that den."  
  
"Yeah," Mousse said with a laugh. "The monsters probably ate them already."  
  
* * *  
  
"Eeeeew," Ukyo said as she walked through more white stuff. "What is this stuff!" she continued, picking it out of her clothes.  
  
Ryoga looked around the web-covered den. "I have a real bad feeling about this," he said softly.  
  
Shampoo nodded grimly. She heard Ranma and Mousse coming down the stairs and realized all too late what was going on. "No, Mousse stay upst…"  
  
But he had already come down. "Stay what?" he asked.  
  
Then he heard it. The clicking sound across the ground that could only be one thing. He started to turn pale. Suddenly from behind a corner, it appeared. The huge spider hissed at them and spit some venom towards them.  
  
The group scattered to avoid its spray. Everyone except Mousse though, who was beyond terrified and just stood there frozen in fear. A huge axe came down and split the monster in two, leaving a pile of green goo in its place.  
  
"Ugh," Ryoga said looking at his axe. "That's just gross."  
  
"There are more of them," Ukyo said. "A single spider couldn't make this much of a mess."  
  
"Hey Mousse," Ranma said, waving his hand in front of the Necromancer's eyes. "Wow, he's out cold."  
  
"But he's standing," Ukyo said walking over to him. "And his eyes are open."  
  
"I know, that's the strange part," Ranma said.  
  
"Should we leave him here?" Ryoga asked. Ranma shrugged. Shampoo sighed.  
  
"Ranma take group ahead. Shampoo baby-sit duck boy," she said unhappily.  
  
"We'll be right back," Ranma said as he, Ryoga and Ukyo ran off.  
  
Shampoo looked back at Mousse and rolled her eyes. She pushed his arm to see if she could get a reaction. Nothing. She pushed his nose. Nothing. In the distance, she could hear fighting and she wanted more than anything to be with them. If only Mousse would just wake up.  
  
She leaned forward and looked into his eyes. They were completely blank with fear. She stared at them, waiting for him to blink. Looking at them this close, they were actually kind of nice. Her breath slowed as it fell on his face. "Mou.." she started to say softly.  
  
Suddenly something grabbed her from behind. She realized all too late that it was his hands. It pushed her forward and before she could react she found herself in a rather deep kiss with him.  
  
This is when you should pull away, a voice in her head said. This is not a good position to be in. This is when you should kill him. This is when you should do ANYTHING but what you are doing right now.  
  
The voice in her mind never won out. It was only when she heard the voice of the others that she finally broke away. Looking up she saw two very awake eyes staring back at her.  
  
"Sha…" he started.  
  
"HEY SHAMPOO!" Ranma called from the distance.  
  
She panicked, took her spear and hit him hard upside the head. He dropped to the ground unconsciously.  
  
"Shampoo!" Ranma said as they ran towards her. She looked at them, her face completely pale. "What happened? We were calling you."  
  
"Nothing!" she said loudly.  
  
"Why didn't you answer?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Nothing!" she said again.  
  
The group paused and looked at her, then at Mousse. "What happened?" Ryoga asked.  
  
"NOTHING!" she yelled. She looked at them and then turned around and headed upstairs.  
  
Ukyo took off. "Hey! Wait up!!"  
  
Ryoga and Ranma looked at each other and shrugged. They walked over to Mousse. As Ranma grabbed his arms and Ryoga grabbed his legs, they couldn't help but notice something.  
  
"Is it me, or is he smiling?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Kind of freaky," Ryoga said.  
  
They dragged him upstairs and dropped him on the ground. Ukyo was next to Shampoo trying to get something other than 'Nothing' from the girl. Ranma shook his head.  
  
"What a mess," he said.  
  
"At least we got that damn figurine," Ryoga said. "Think about it… in a few short hours we might be free of these…"  
  
The air was suddenly filled with a feminine scream. They all looked at Mousse but he was still on the ground unconscious. A second later they heard it again. Something clicked on Ranma's face.  
  
"Akane," he said. A moment later, he took off. Ryoga watched him go. Looking at the ground to where Mousse was.  
  
"Shampoo! After him!" he cried. "Ukyo, stay with me."  
  
Shampoo nodded and took off in pursuit of Ranma. Looking down at Mousse, Ryoga grabbed the Necromancer by his waist and threw him over his shoulder, slowly following Ukyo.  
  
* * *  
  
Akane looked at the vat of boiling water below her. Her feet were bound and tied to a rope that was looped over a branch. It was slowly lowering her in the pot, something which she was not happy about.  
  
She screamed again, not some much in fear but in rage. "You little creeps! I'll kill you as soon I get out of this!!!"  
  
Suddenly the creatures disappeared into the forest. Thinking she had startled them, she nodded to herself. "Damn straight!" she said, trying to bend upwards so she could reach her feet.  
  
"AKANE!"  
  
Her stomach muscles released and she flopped back to her invert position. She recognized that voice.  
  
"AKANE!"  
  
She blinked her eyes in surprise. "Ranma? RANMA!" she called out.  
  
"AKANE, HANG ON!"  
  
In the forest, Ranma was performing more than one gravity-defying feat as he leapt through the foliage as if it was merely fog in the air. It never crossed his mind that it wasn't Akane. Somehow, he just knew.  
  
He was getting close to where she was when something crossed in his path. Skidding to a stop he looked at the small creature in front of him. It stood below his knee, a little gray man wearing in loincloth.  
  
"Hey," Ranma said. "Hey, did you see a girl in…"  
  
The creature made a noise. It sounded like a word but it wasn't in any language Ranma understood. The creature smiled making its hideous teeth suddenly visible. Ranma stepped back just as it pulled out a huge knife.  
  
Ranma drew his sword and hacked the creature in two. Shampoo, finally caught up with him, watched the scene with dismay. A second later, Ukyo showed up having left Ryoga behind with Mousse.  
  
"What the hell was that?" Ukyo cried as she walked over to him.  
  
"I don't know," Ranma said. "But whatever it was, it's dead no…"  
  
The corpse twitched a bit. The trio stepped back. Suddenly a cloud of sparkle appeared over its head and the little beast rose to its feet. With a snarl, it looked over at Ranma and launched another attack.  
  
"SHAMAN!" Ranma cried as he defending himself.  
  
Ukyo and Shampoo scattered to either side, searching the area for something that resembled a shaman. They were met with a hail of pellets. As they retreated back to Ranma, almost two dozen more of the creatures appeared.  
  
"Holy…" Ukyo cried seeing it.  
  
For the next few minutes, it was a hack and slash-fest. Little bodies littered the ground but would spring up seconds later. They realized it was a losing battle but they couldn't make enough headway to break away.  
  
In the distance, they heard a Barbarian war cry and the anguished scream of a dying creature. Suddenly the creatures weren't rising anymore. Realizing this was their chance, the trio set to killing as many of the creatures as possible.  
  
By the time Ryoga finally got there, they had finished off the last of them. "You guys won't believe what I just saw," Ryoga said. He paused and looked at the ground littered with corpses. "Or maybe you will."  
  
"RANMA!"  
  
"Akane," Ranma said and took off again. Ukyo and Shampoo followed quickly. Ryoga sighed and readjusted Mousse on his shoulder before following, hoping that he wouldn't get lost.  
  
Akane swung back and forth furiously. Where the hell was he! She could feel the heat of the water below her. Was he going to let her roast?  
  
Suddenly a pair of hand grabbed her shoulders and pulled her away from the pot and towards the safe ground next to it. She saw a bladed hand slash the rope at her feet and looking around she saw Ranma, Shampoo and Ukyo standing above her.  
  
"Hi," she said, somewhat lamely. "Can someone untie me please?"  
  
* * *  
  
Back in Kurast, Soun and Genma played a game of go. Soun sighed after a few moments. "I'm sorry Saotome but it's just not…"  
  
"I understand," Genma said.  
  
"To get back one daughter," he started, "just in time to lose the other."  
  
"Don't worry, Tendo, we'll find…" He trailed off.  
  
Soun looked at his old friend and realized Genma was staring at whatever was behind his back. Soun slowly turned and saw Akane standing at the door.  
  
"A… Akane," he said softly.  
  
Akane nodded slowly. The group had filled her in on what had happened after she left them. She could only hope that her hypothesis was right. "Daddy," she said slowly. "You didn't ask me to stay behind in Lut Gholeim and marry Kuno did you?"  
  
Soun looked confused. "What? Never!" he said. "Why would I ever ask you to such a…" He paused. "Oh, I understand it now."  
  
"I should have known," Akane said. "But it was like you were saying exactly what I thought you should."  
  
"Akane," Soun said firmly. "I would never, ever leave you behind. I promise." He took his youngest daughter in a deep embrace.  
  
"Oh man, if this gets any more mushy, I'm going to puke."  
  
Akane's eyes blinked. She pushed away slowly from her father and looked across the room. "Nabiki?" she asked slowly. She crossed over and looked at the older girl. "Is that really you?"  
  
"No, it's not," Nabiki said with a smile.  
  
"NABIKI!" Akane said leaping forward and engulfing her older sister in a hug. Nabiki waited a beat longer before returning the hug.  
  
"If this keeps up," Nabiki said, "my reputation is going to be ruined."  
  
"What a wonderful sight!" Tofu said as he walked into the room, Cologne following close behind. "It's nice to see some joy come to Kurast after these weeks of siege."  
  
"Indeed," Cologne said. "It seems even our little group has been lacking happy moments."  
  
"Well, then there is only one thing to do," Tofu said.  
  
* * *  
  
Lanterns swung in the night breeze, making colorful patterns on the ground. Music filtered down the streets and people slowly walked towards the inn at the edge of the docks. Inside the inn, tables were laden with food and a band played in the corner. People laughed softly at first but as time wore on, it was more prominent and several people even ventured towards the dance floor.  
  
In one corner, the Tendo family sat speaking amongst themselves, laughing ever so often. Tofu and Kuno were discussing things in a bit more serious tone though Tofu would look up and smile at some of the villagers that passed.  
  
Seated around the table, Genma, Ranma, Ryoga, Shampoo and Mousse all started at a gold figurine in the center.  
  
"It's obscene," Mousse said.  
  
"Completely," Genma agreed but his eyes never left it. In fact, they were running up and down the curvy figure of a naked woman. "I wonder what the potion maker will do with it."  
  
"I don't think I want to know," Ryoga said softly, sniffling slightly at the impending nose bleed.  
  
"It doesn't matter," Ranma said. "What matters is that we give him this and he gives us the potion. And one of us is cured."  
  
There was silence. It seemed too good to be true. A cure for their curse. No more crazy quests or nasty monsters. They could go home and return to their normal lives. But somehow they all knew what their answer was.  
  
"Bah," Ryoga said. "I don't need it. As soon as I get back to Harrogath, the healers there will have a cure."  
  
"Shampoo know great-grandmother find cure soon too," she said.  
  
"I've read about several possibilities," Mousse said. "I just need a few ingredients."  
  
"Well then," Genma said reaching forward for the figurine. "Thank you for your sacrifice. I'm sure that when I am returned to human form I will…"  
  
Ranma reached forward and grabbed his father's wrist. "We're giving the cure to Akane," he said evenly.  
  
Genma let go and stood up. "Well, of course," he said. "I was only kidding. I'm going to go get something to drink." He walked away from the table.  
  
"Shampoo go find Ukyo," she said, jumping up and leaving Mousse looking like he wanted to say something. The three boys looked around at each other and sat in silence for a few moments.  
  
"Well," Ryoga said. "I'm sure this is a rowdy bunch to be with but I think I'm going to get some beer."  
  
Ranma shook his head as he watched Ryoga go. "I never thought I'd see so a dedicated warrior like Ryoga succumb to alcohol."  
  
Mousse raised an eyebrow. "He's Barbarian. It's kind of like water for them."  
  
Ranma shrugged. "Hey Mousse… did something happen with you and Shampoo?"  
  
Mousse looked at Ranma and tried to say something. In the end, he just shook his head.  
  
Ranma looked at him. "Are you sure, I mean, if I didn't know any better…"  
  
"You don't know any better," Mousse said. "Unless you want to talk about you and Akane too."  
  
Ranma nodded. "Point taken."  
  
There was loud yell from the other end of the dining hall. Ryoga had successfully wrestled another man's arm down and earned a free drink. Ranma laughed. "Ha, what weakling could have been beaten by Ryoga."  
  
"Ah, I don't think you should take him so lightly," Mousse said.  
  
"Wanna bet?" Ranma said, sticking out his hand. Mousse smiled and shook it once.  
  
In a corner, Shampoo sat with her head on the table. Ukyo walked over with a jug of beer and two glasses.  
  
"Okay," she said putting down the empty glass in front of Shampoo. The purple haired Amazon raised her head at the sound. "What happened?  
  
"Mousse kiss Shampoo," she said miserably.  
  
Ukyo's eyes opened. She grabbed Shampoo's glass and filled it to the top. "Wow," she said. "What did you do?"  
  
"Shampoo hit him on head, really hard."  
  
"Why?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"Because Shampoo not make him stop, not WANT to stop him."  
  
Ukyo looked at the glass in front of Shampoo and picked it up. She dumped it back into the jug and handed it to the Amazon. "Here," she said. "I think you're going to need it all."  
  
Suddenly the room was filled with a yell of celebration. "I did it!" Ryoga screamed. "I finally BEAT RANMA!!"  
  
"NO WAY!" Ranma said, trying to drown him out. "We're doing best two out of three!" But Ryoga was already gloating and walking around the room, singing Barbarian victory songs.  
  
Nabiki watched the scene with a little smile. "Well, I'm going to go talk to a few people," she said standing up. She started to walk away from her family but didn't make it past Kuno. He grabbed her arm and pulled her close.  
  
"So Nabiki Tendo," he said softly. "Tell me one thing."  
  
Nabiki smiled. "Anything, Kuno-baby."  
  
"Is that a Jade Figurine in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" he asked. Nabiki paled and looked down at her clothes. Impossible, she had left the figurine in her room. She realized her mistake.  
  
"Good one, Kuno-baby," she said with a smile. "Very good."  
  
Akane watched the exchange with a puzzled expression. She didn't really care what Nabiki was up to. She was just happy. Happier than she had been in a very long time. She knew that this couldn't last forever but she wanted to enjoy this moment for as long as she could.  
  
It was perfect.  
  
Well until Ranma got drenched by beer, turned into a girl and had Ryoga dancing with her across the floor. 


	17. Act 3, Quest 2 : The Blade of Old Religi...

"Shhhh…"  
  
"This is such a bad idea…"  
  
"It's going to priceless when they wake up."  
  
"I only wish I had a way to capture the moment for…"  
  
"Shhh… look, I think they're waking up."  
  
Ranma's eyes fluttered open and instantly snapped shut. A dull ache in the head. Dry mouth. And why was it so warm? This was not starting out well at all.  
  
First of all, Ranma was still in girl form, which brought back one too many memories of a half drunk Ryoga chasing her around and demanding a dance. Secondly, she had a vague recollection of a bottle of something called sake being shoved down her throat. That must be way she was feeling so bad. Thirdly… why was she pinned down?  
  
She forced her eyes to open and they slowly adjusted to the sunlight filtering through the open windows. She smacked her lips to try to get some saliva in her mouth and yawned as she turned to the side.  
  
The scream that came from her mouth scattered the glass of one of the windows and sent the birds outside squawking into the sky. About the only thing that remained undisturbed was the sleeping hulk next to Ranma-chan.  
  
When the screaming finally stopped, she reached over and wrapped her hands around Ryoga's neck. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" she demanded moving the boy's head up and down until it began to hit the floor. That finally woke up Ryoga.  
  
"Huh?? Why you hitting me?" Ryoga said, still somewhat asleep.  
  
"Wake up!" Ranma-chan cried. "What are you doing in my bed?!?"  
  
That certainly got Ryoga up in a hurry. Taking in the situation, he decided the best course of action would be to do exactly what Ranma-chan had done and scream his bloody head off.  
  
When he had finished, they both heard it. From outside the cracked open door, the sound of muffled giggling. Ranma-chan released her grip on Ryoga's neck and stomped over, throwing open the door.  
  
As soon as it was open, the trio standing there started to erupt with laughter. Akane and Ukyo were holding onto each other as they almost passed out with laughter. Mousse sat against the wall holding in his side, trying to stop laughing.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" Ranma-chan demanded.  
  
Akane tried but couldn't get a word out. Ukyo just shook her head. It was Mousse that finally got enough control to point at Ukyo and Akane. "It was their idea," he said with a muffled laugh. "They thought it would be funny if we put you two together and see what happened when… snicker… when…"  
  
Ranma-chan's eyebrow twitched. She turned and saw Ryoga standing behind her with an angry expression as well. "Kill 'em?" Ranma-chan asked. Ryoga reached over and grabbed his axe.  
  
Akane and Ukyo regained enough sense to realize that Ranma-chan and Ryoga were gunning for them. "Oh crap," Ukyo said standing up and taking off with Akane following quickly behind.  
  
Mousse watched the blurred motion of people take off and started to laugh. Poor girls, they were in for it. Suddenly though, he heard footsteps coming back towards him. From what he could make out, it looked like Ryoga and Ranma-chan were headed back towards him.  
  
"Eh?" Mousse tried to ask as they passed.  
  
"RUN!" Ryoga and Ranma-chan cried as they ran past him.  
  
Mousse stood up and watched them go. "Why?"  
  
Suddenly Akane and Ukyo flew past him. "Amazon with a hang over!!" Ukyo cried as she moved past him.  
  
"We woke her up!" Akane finished before disappearing.  
  
Ah, that is a very good reason to run, Mousse thought to himself as he took off behind the girls.  
  
* * *  
  
"I don't see why I still needed to be a girl," Ranma-chan said gruffly as she walked up to the door.  
  
"Nabiki said it would be better this way," Akane said with a shrug.  
  
"I could've at least showered," Ranma-chan said pointing down to the mess of clothes she was still wearing. Mud, food and several undistinguishable spots covered them, the result of being tossed into a trash pile by an unhappy Amazon.  
  
"Strange, but Nabiki also said it would be better if you stayed that way too," Akane replied. "But you really stink!"  
  
Ranma-chan glowered. "Yeah, well, I didn't run away screaming when Shampoo decided to toss us in the trash."  
  
Akane giggled. "I guess Ukyo and I are just smarter than you guys. I mean, we knew not to reason with her."  
  
"Whatever," Ranma-chan said. She lifted her hand to knock the door but suddenly Akane grabbed it.  
  
"You're sure about this?" she said, not looking at Ranma-chan. "You know what you're giving up?"  
  
Ranma-chan was silent for a moment. "Group decision," she said and let her hand fall on the door. She knocked a few times and waited for a reply.  
  
A few seconds later, the door cracked open. Ranma-chan and Akane started into the darkness but saw nothing. Suddenly there was a sound just below their knees.  
  
"Whatcha want?"  
  
Akane and Ranma-chan exchanged a glance before they leaned forward to look down at the little beady eyes poking out the door. "Ah," Akane started, "we heard you were looking for a gold figu…"  
  
"AH!! GET IT OFF!" Ranma-chan cried suddenly jumping backwards. She was hitting something that had latched on her chest. Akane quickly grabbed her wand and prepared her fireball spell. "AKANE! N…"  
  
The fireball hit the target, only it was already gone so it hit Ranma-chan squarely on the chest.  
  
"Sorr… ACK!!" Akane screamed as she felt something clutching her own bosom. "GET IT OFF!!"  
  
Ranma-chan, hair slightly singed from the attack, reached forward to pull at the lump that was on Akane's chest. Too bad it had moved already and all Ranma was left with was a handful of…  
  
"RANMA NO BAKA!" Akane said, sending the other girl straight into the air. Sensing something coming towards her from the side, she lashed out, her hand grabbing a bunch of fabric.  
  
"Lemme go!!"  
  
Akane looked at her hand and saw an old man wriggling in her hands.  
  
"So you can latch onto me again?" Akane cried. "I don't think so, you little lecher!"  
  
The old man started to sniffle and cry. "But… no one comes to visit me anymore! I just wanted to enjoy the presence of two beautiful women!"  
  
"Enjoying their presence does not mean you can grope them!" Akane stated. "Now are you the potion dealer or are you not!"  
  
"So you only wanted to see me for my potions!" The little man cried. Akane sighed and was about to give up on the whole mess when the floor beneath her buckled a bit as Ranma-chan fell to the ground again.  
  
"Ranma!" she said. "Show him the figurine." Ranma-chan stood up and wobbled back and forth, her head spinning from the impact. "RANMA!"  
  
Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, Ranma-chan reached into her pocket and retrieved the figurine.  
  
"There," Akane said. "One figurine for one potion to cure one curse."  
  
The little man was silent as he looked at the figurine. "Put me down," he said slowly. Akane complied, on guard for another attack. The little man disappeared into his house and returned with a vial of orange potion. "Give me the figurine," he hissed.  
  
A bit alarmed at his sudden change in demur, Ranma-chan held out the figurine and dropped it, quickly snatching the potion as he did. She pulled Akane away and the little man caressed the statue.  
  
The little man chuckled. "Thank you," he said. "Now leave. And leave this town if you value your life."  
  
"What?" Akane said but the little man had disappeared.  
  
"Well that was strange," Ranma-chan said.  
  
* * *  
  
Akane stared at the vial, watching the orange potion swirl around. It looked alive in some ways. Next to her, Soun watched it as well, though his thoughts were his own.  
  
Nabiki suddenly entered the room. "It's not poison," she said. "I tested it and it's fine. I'm pretty sure it'll do what he says…"  
  
Akane sighed and looked at the vial again. "Okay, I'll do it."  
  
Nabiki frowned, not entirely sure it was safe. But she couldn't go against her sister's wishes. She nodded and put a reassuring hand on Akane's shoulder before she walked out of the room.  
  
"Are you sure you want to do this alone?" Soun asked. Akane nodded firmly, her eyes staring at her father with resolve. They stood up together and Akane walked him to the door.  
  
She was a bit surprised to find Ranma standing in the hallway as her father walked out. Soun kept moving and Ranma waited until he was gone.  
  
"You don't have to do this," Ranma said. "We both saw the little creep ourselves. I don't know if we can trust him."  
  
"This is the only way," Akane said with a smile. She reached out and took his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "I'll be fine."  
  
If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn he had blushed. But she couldn't bear to look any longer. So she let her hand drop and quickly closed the door, locking it behind her.  
  
Sitting down in front of the vial, Akane closed her eyes and tried to muster the courage. This wasn't like anything she had faced before. In a fight, she at least had the chance to fight back. This was different. She would drink this potion and either it would work or not and she couldn't do a damn thing about it.  
  
She opened her eyes, deciding it was now or never. Her hand snapped forward and she opened the vial. She brought it to her mouth, clamped her eyes shut and drank it in one shot.  
  
* * *  
  
Tofu walked down the street, his hand clamped behind his back. He watched the children playing in the street and couldn't help but smile. That party last night had done wonders for the morale of the town.  
  
"Leader Ono."  
  
Tofu looked up and saw Kuno striding towards him. "Leader Kuno," he replied, feeling a bit foolish saying it but the other man appeared to live for formality.  
  
"Your town's spirits have risen considerably," Kuno said. Tofu nodded. "Had I not seen the terror that stalks you with my own eyes, I would believe you might be able to regain some semblance of a normal life. I have seen your defenses and they are… lacking."  
  
Tofu nodded, knowing that Kuno was being polite. "We have time," Tofu said, "to build up our defenses. We can use the wood from the forest to barricade ourselves in and this bit of land is on an island."  
  
"With water that is not very deep," Kuno replied. "I worry about Lut Gholeim but I surely cannot leave you and your people here at their hour of need. Besides what sort of man would I be if I were not to lend my hand."  
  
"Thank you Tatewaki," Tofu said, throwing formality out the window. "I can't tell you how much we…"  
  
"TOFU!"  
  
The two men turned and saw Akane running at them full speed. "Akane?" Tofu said, concerned. "Is something wrong? Did you take the potion?"  
  
"I did," she said, almost crying at this point. "And something happened, I think… I think it reversed the curse somehow."  
  
"What?" Kuno said. "What did you see?"  
  
"An army," she said. "They're massing in the jungle and they're coming here."  
  
* * *  
  
The tree came toppling down as the townspeople scattered. Ryoga hefted his axe over his shoulder and walked towards the next tree. Ukyo motioned for the townspeople to come back for the trunk and pull it towards the wall. There, they tied ropes around it and slowly started to lower it into position.  
  
"It won't be enough," Tofu said softly.  
  
Kuno looked over him and then back at the wall. He knew agreeing would not be the best idea but it was hard not to considering the odds. "My ship can take about fifty people on it back to Lut Gholeim," he said after a pause. "We can get most of the women and children out."  
  
Tofu frowned and nodded. "It's a very generous offer. But only if you are on that ship with them. I don't want to deprive Lut Gholeim of their great leader."  
  
"Really Tofu, you're just going to inflate his ego even more," Nabiki said as she walked up next to him with Mousse in tow.  
  
"Nabiki Tendo," Kuno said looking at her. "Now is not the time to make jokes."  
  
"So I should just stand here with you looking as if I was staring death in the face, Kuno-baby?" she asked.  
  
"What Nabiki means to say," Mousse said, "is that we might have something else that could help."  
  
Tofu's interest peaked. "Go ahead."  
  
"Well, thanks to Mousse's scrolls," Nabiki began, "I've been able to confirm the existence of an ancient blade. Its magical properties should be enough to keep the monsters at bay."  
  
"How?" Kuno asked.  
  
Nabiki and Mousse looked at each other. "We're working on that," she said. "Mousse is going to go ahead and find it with some of the others, see if there isn't something written where he finds it. I'll stay behind and read the scrolls we already have."  
  
"Who will go with you?" Kuno asked.  
  
Mousse looked over at the townspeople's efforts. "You'll need Ryoga for the trees and Ukyo seems to be leading the rest of the people. We don't know what the situation is with Akane's curse. I'd rather she stay here too, to warn you if anything changes."  
  
"So Shampoo and Ranma go with you," Tofu said.  
  
"If they desire," Mousse replied. "I can not force them to leave on a wild goose chase," he finished instantly regretting his choice of words.  
  
* * *  
  
"Where did you say it was?" Ranma asked, slashing at more brush.  
  
Mousse looked nervously at the map that Nabiki had drawn. "Somewhere close by," he said softly.  
  
"Shampoo remember this place," she said softly, pushing some of the branches away with her spear.  
  
"Yeah," Ranma said. "It looks kind of familiar."  
  
Mousse shrugged. "I sure don't remember it," he said. He waited, realizing he left himself open for a 'blind duck boy no see so how can remember'. But it never came. The silence was a bit unnerving. He really wanted to insults back.  
  
Ranma suddenly threw up his hand to stop them. He looked over at Shampoo and tapped his ear. Shampoo paused and nodded. Yes, she heard something. Ranma held a hand up in Mousse's face to tell him to stay put. Mousse nodded and saw two blurs moving in opposite directions.  
  
Great, they had left him here as bait for whatever was in the jungle. Well this was turning out to be a wonderful trip. Shampoo had said all of two words to him, though she looked like she had a rough night. Ranma looked a million miles away, he probably wanted to be back in town rather than here. And Nabiki's map was so broad they would probably…  
  
There was a rustling next to him and Mousse realized that his day was about to get a lot worse.  
  
They broke through the branches and jumped towards him. Mousse barely had the time to stand when a wave of time bodies covered him. He felt little teeth biting at his robes and saw what could only be huge blades preparing to strike.  
  
Ordinarily, Mousse might have had a hard time dealing with this many monsters with his vision being as bad as it was. But they had made one fatal mistake. They were right on top of him.  
  
A series of bone spears ripped through the air, tearing the Flayers to bits. Even as their bodies landed on the ground, a Corpse Explosion spell reduced them to quivering piles of goo. No way to resurrect that, Mousse thought with a smile.  
  
He stood up and brushed off several Flayer bits from his clothes and looked around for his companions. A moment later, Ranma burst out of the foliage.  
  
"What the hell?" he said looking around at the mess.  
  
"Thanks for leaving me as bait," Mousse said. "Did you find the shaman?"  
  
"He kind of ran away," Ranma said. "I think I know why." Ranma picked up a boot, watching as Flayer goo followed his foot up.  
  
"Well," Mousse shrugged, "what can I say? I wanted to keep them down."  
  
Shampoo suddenly emerged from the brush with a puzzled look. "Shaman run away," she said, just as her foot stepped into a puddle of Flayer remains. She looked down at the mess and turned a bit green. "Uck, Shampoo no feel so good."  
  
* * *  
  
Ukyo gripped the rope tightly, feeling it bite into her hand. She looked over and watched the villagers having similar problems. The trunk was heavier than the others were and after three hours of working, she was beginning to feel the fatigue.  
  
The rope next to her snapped and the villagers tumbled backwards. She felt the trunk slide away from her, taking her arm with. She tried to let go, but the rope was wound around her wrist. For a horrifying moment, she really believed that she was going to lose her arm.  
  
There was a cry from behind her and she felt something whistle by her ear. She barely got to see the axe embedded in the tree trunk right where the rope was tied before she fell backward onto the ground. Looking over she saw Ryoga straightening up from his throw.  
  
"You okay?" he called out.  
  
Ukyo waved with her good hand and then looked back at the damage. Well, on top of saving her arm, Ryoga's throw had managed to push the trunk away from the wall and harmlessly on to the ground next to it. He walked over and pulled the axe out of the trunk.  
  
The villagers regrouped and began to retie their ropes to the tree. Ukyo was about to join them when something told her to wait. She looked out at the jungle and listened. She could have sworn she…  
  
The ground shook slightly and Ukyo had to fight to maintain her balance. The villagers didn't look all too pleased. She looked down at Ryoga, who was holding his axe in more of a battle pose then a chopping one.  
  
"Let's just get inside," she said to the people around her. The ground shook again and the villagers took off. "Ryoga!" she called out. "Now!!"  
  
Ryoga slowly lowered his axe and began to walk towards the jungle. Ukyo's eyes opened wide. "WRONG WAY!!" she screamed, running after him. She grabbed his arm and pulled him away just as the demons broke through the foliage.  
  
Ukyo and Ryoga ran across the bridge, sliding under the door as it closed to secure the village. Akane appeared on top of the wall and conjured a fire wall spell, aiming for the bridge and letting it burn until the bridge collapsed into the water.  
  
"The water is still too shallow," Kuno said as Akane ducked back down.  
  
"The walls will hold," Tofu said. "At least until they get back with this blade."  
  
"You place a lot of faith in something you can not be sure will work," Kuno said.  
  
"It'll work," Nabiki said, climbing up to greet them. "I know it will."  
  
"You have discovered its use then," Kuno asked.  
  
Nabiki smiled. "You bet I did, Kuno-baby," she said with a smile. "But until then, let's show them what happens to people who mess with the Tendo sisters," she said holding out her hand to Akane.  
  
Akane smiled and took it with a firm grasp and a wicked smile.  
  
* * *  
  
"Nabiki Tendo not know what talking about. Blade not in that village."  
  
Mousse sighed and looked at the map again. "According to this map, it's there, somewhere underground."  
  
Ranma shook his head. "You're sure that this isn't a joke on her part?"  
  
Mousse looked a bit stunned. "She wouldn't joke about something like this. Besides, I was working with her. It's legit."  
  
"Is Flayer village! Why no one else realize this is Flayer village!"  
  
"I know it's a Flayer village but it's not as if we have much a choice," Mousse said.  
  
Shampoo sighed and looked out at the village again. At least two dozen little Flayers ran around. She could see at least two shamans but there could be others hiding. "Shampoo can hit shaman there," she said pointing to the village. "Ranma take other shaman?"  
  
"Yeah," Ranma said. "Then take Mousse and drop him in the center of those little creeps."  
  
Mousse smiled. "I foresee many corpse explosion spells coming up."  
  
Ranma looked a bit sickened by the thought but just nodded and took off. Suddenly, it was just Shampoo and Mousse. Mousse felt himself suddenly go weak in the knees. He had to say something.  
  
"Ah… Shampoo, about…"  
  
"No talk," she said harshly gripping on her spear.  
  
"But I just wanted…"  
  
"No talk," she said again. "Was mistake, all the need say."  
  
She raised her spear and took aim, hoping it would shut Mousse up. She really had no desire to ever talk about it. In fact it would be better if she could just…  
  
"Shampoo! Throw the spear," Mousse said suddenly.  
  
Shampoo blinked and realized that Ranma had already made his move. She tossed the spear and to her horror, she missed.  
  
"Let's go," Mousse said, taking off not realizing that she had failed. Before Shampoo could collect her thoughts, he was gone.  
  
She cursed and ran off, heading towards her spear to fix this problem. This was exactly why she didn't want to talk about it. Mousse was a distraction and distractions made her sloppy. This was probably why Amazon law prevented women from choosing who they could be with.  
  
Reaching down she pulled the spear and was about to strike the shaman when it turned around and shot a mouth full of flames at her. She fell backwards to avoid it and struck upwards, spearing it right in the heart.  
  
The shaman screamed in pain and expired, leaving behind an angry Flayer. Before Shampoo could react it was headed straight for her and then suddenly, it was flying over her.  
  
Sitting up, she saw the remains of the shaman. Corpse explosion spell, she realized. Great, Mousse had just saved her. This day couldn't get much worse.  
  
"Shampoo!" Ranma cried as he slashed at a few Flayers. "There's a door next to you!!"  
  
Shampoo looked over and saw she had fallen right next a steel grate. She used her spear as leverage and opened it. There were steps leading down into the darkness. Oh, yeah, this day just got worse.  
  
* * *  
  
The sky crackled and a bolt of lightning hit the ground. A demon got toasted right away and the others started running as lightning continued to slither towards them on the ground. As they retreated, they came face to face with a fire wall and were trapped.  
  
Soun Tendo watched with pride. His daughters were fending off the entire demon horde by themselves. Ah, if their mother could see them now.  
  
"Daddy!" Nabiki called again, getting a bit agitated. What was he doing, grinning like an idiot down there? "We need more mana potions!"  
  
"Right away!" Soun said, reaching down and pulling a few more bottles from their supply. He tried not to notice that it was dwindling rapidly.  
  
"Allow me." Soun looked up at the outstretched hand and carefully handed the bottles to Kuno. Kuno took them and headed up the wall to where the Tendo sisters were. He made sure not to give the demons a target as he sat down between them.  
  
Akane sat down first and grabbed the bottle from him. "Thanks," she said, drinking the potion.  
  
"You are welcome, Akane Tendo," he said with a nod. "You and your sister are fighting very well."  
  
"Thanks," Akane said with a smile. "Your turn, Nabiki."  
  
Lightning danced across Nabiki's arm and was reflected momentarily in her eyes. It arched upwards to the sky before coming down on an unsuspecting group of monsters. She smiled as they fell down and nodded to Akane.  
  
While Akane took aim with fireballs, Nabiki took the chance to relax. She took the potion from Kuno was a slight smile and drank it slowly.  
  
"So Kuno-baby, you think that we're fighting well?"  
  
Kuno frowned a bit at the name. "Only a fool would not recognize the skills of a fellow fighter."  
  
Nabiki frowned. "Oh, I thought you were hitting on us. Too bad, I thought you were kind of cute."  
  
Kuno flustered and couldn't find a response. Akane suppressed a giggle and looked down at Kuno. Nabiki had really thrown the poetry-talking leader for a loop. Which was surprising since nothing she or Ranma had done since they met him had made him shut up.  
  
Nabiki's smile grew. "Thanks for the drink," she said standing up. Looking over at Akane, she winked at her sister before she concentrated on the battle.  
  
* * *  
  
"This day not good," Shampoo declared as she pulled her foot from the dingy water.  
  
"You can say that again," Ranma said softly.  
  
The trap door had lead down into a dungeon which none of them could understand. It was pretty obvious the Flayers didn't fight to capture their enemies. So why the dungeon?  
  
Mousse took in a deep breath. The air was stale but he could sense something near by. Something alive…  
  
"Did you hear that?" Ranma said suddenly.  
  
Shampoo groaned. "Sound like tiny feet," she said. "More Flayers."  
  
"No," Mousse said firmly. "There's nothing alive near us. But if we go this way…" He stood up and started to walk through the darkness before they could disagree. For someone with bad vision, he certainly looked as if he knew where he was going.  
  
After several minutes of walking in darkness, Ranma finally heard something. "Wait a minute Mousse," he said grabbing the other boy's arm.  
  
"It's not monsters," Mousse said firmly.  
  
"Shampoo go see," she said, taking off in a silent run. No way was she letting either of them take out any more monsters. She wanted this kill, if only to win back some of her lost pride. She needed this kill to prove to herself that she wasn't losing her mind.  
  
Her spear pointed forward as she stealthily approached the end of the passageway. She heard some sounds, coming from nearby. With a grin on her face, she crouched down, preparing to jump around the corner and slay whatever was there.  
  
Shampoo spun quickly about the corner only to have her spear connect with something metallic. Her arm vibrated at the impact and she had to take a few steps backwards, cursing as she did.  
  
"Hey! Miss!! Let us out!!"  
  
Shampoo looked forward and saw several men behind a jail door. "Who you are?" she demanded.  
  
"We're crewman from a merchant ship," one of them said. "We were shipwrecked, washed ashore and then kidnapped but those annoying little beasts."  
  
"Hey Shampoo, what's the deal?" Ranma said coming up behind her. He looked into the cell and saw the people there. "Ah… hello," Ranma said somewhat suspiciously.  
  
"Yeah, can you let us out?" the sailor asked again. "Our captain and first mate are hurt real bad. We haven't eaten in days…"  
  
Mousse came around and stood behind Shampoo and Ranma. "Well they're not monsters."  
  
"We've already said that!" the sailor said, growing somewhat impatient. "Just let us out!"  
  
Ranma sighed. "We'll have to take them back to the town."  
  
"But what about the blade?" Mousse asked.  
  
"Blade?" the sailor asked. "You mean this thing?" He pointed to the back of the cell where a necklace with a blade sat on a pedestal.  
  
* * *  
  
Akane fell backwards to the ground clutching the side of her arm. She felt warm blood ooze between her fingers.  
  
"Akane!" Nabiki cried, crouching down. "Are you okay?" Akane nodded bravely but her eyes were clinched in pain. "Someone get Akane down and to the healer!"  
  
Ryoga climbed up quickly and helped Akane down. Nabiki scowled as she turned back to the wall. Someone was going to pay for hurting her sister.  
  
The sky turned dark and a slight rain began to fall. The hair on Nabiki's head started to lift slight as her eyes danced with electricity. Her mouth worded her spell carefully and the lightning began to gather around her. Looking out onto the field of monsters, she let the spell loose.  
  
The ground erupted and several demons were thrown into the air, completely charred by the lightning spell. It chained out from where it hit slowly taking out several monsters. Nabiki cast the spell several more times, each one having the same devastating effect.  
  
Suddenly, she saw something flying towards her. It was an arrow, the same thing that had almost taken out Akane. Nabiki was in mid spell at the time and could break away to protect herself. Her eyes closed instinctively and she prepared for impact.  
  
Her spell hit the demons again and Nabiki realized she was still standing. Looking over, she saw Kuno holding his sword, the remnants of an arrow at his feet. She looked at him, nodded and prepared the next spell.  
  
Suddenly from the side, Ranma and crew broke through the foliage. They were a bit surprised to find the fight already in full swing.  
  
"Shampoo take the sailors ahead to the town, we'll cover you," Ranma said.  
  
Shampoo simply nodded and motioned for them to follow. Thirteen sailors carrying two wounded quickly made their way towards the town. Kuno saw them first.  
  
"Prepare to open the gate!" he called. "They are returning with people!"  
  
Tofu looked a bit surprise but relayed the order to Ryoga. He nodded and moved towards the wheel, preparing to turn it. Shampoo reached the bridge first, only to realize it wasn't there. She motioned at the sailor to cross it and they dove in, pushing through the waist deep water to get through.  
  
Ranma and Mousse came up behind her, trying to destroy anything that threatened them. The monsters kept their distance, courtesy of Nabiki's spells. They stopped at the water and looked down at Shampoo. She nodded and jumped in first, instantly changing into a cat. Mousse pushed Ranma in before the neko-phobia could take over. He followed them, changing quickly in a duck.  
  
Ranma-chan, pushed her way across the water, hand back and grabbed on to Muu-muu's tail. The duck's beak had a firm grip on neko-Shampoo's tail, something the cat didn't appear to like too much.  
  
Ryoga got the signal from Tofu and turned the wheel, opening the game and letting in the terrified sailors, one red-headed girl, a duck and a wet cat. As soon as they were clear, Ryoga started to turn the wheel the other way but it wouldn't budge. He pushed on it with all his might and something suddenly snapped.  
  
The gate came crashing down, shattering on impact. Ryoga looked through the debris and realized that there was nothing protecting them anymore.  
  
"Never mind!" Nabiki called as she clambered down, followed quickly by Kuno. She grabbed the blade from around Muu-muu's neck. "Just follow me to the center of town!!"  
  
She took off running, clutching the blade closely. She pondered her current course of action and realized there was nothing else to do. As soon as they reached the center, she motioned to a stone pedestal.  
  
"Bring that here!" she said, pointing to the ground in front of her. Most of the townspeople were crowded around her, trying to avoid the horde that was digging through the wreckage of the gate to get to them.  
  
Ryoga ran over and grabbed it, dragging it over to her.  
  
"Nabiki, what are you doing?" Akane asked, pushing her way through the crowd to get to her sister.  
  
Nabiki looked at Akane with a firm look on her face. "Akane, you have to promise something."  
  
"What?" Akane said. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Find Kasumi," Nabiki said. "For father's sake."  
  
"Nabiki…"  
  
"Promise," the older girl ordered as Ryoga finally got the pedestal next to her.  
  
"I promise," Akane said.  
  
Nabiki smiled and placed the blade on the pedestal. "Step back," she said to Akane. As soon as her sister was clear, she looked over at Kuno with a smile. "Hey Kuno-baby," she said. "Just so you know… I would have made a kick ass queen."  
  
Nabiki turned to the blade and held her hands over it. She began to chant the spell, the last one they had taught her at school before she graduated. Maybe her father didn't think she kept up her skills but she knew her stuff. And this blade was going to give her the power to cast an extremely power spell.  
  
The air around Nabiki began to swirl, bring up tiny fragments of the road below her. The wind made her uniform flutter as it danced around her body and up into her hair. The words flowed out of her mouth now, filling the air with a sweet melody. Her hand moved away from the blade and out toward either side of her body.  
  
Her feet lifted off the ground and she was suddenly floating several inches above the ground. The fragments from the road suddenly began to shatters as electricity encircled her body like snakes. Her skin began to take a faint blue tone and her eyes lost their color, becoming an empty white.  
  
It started just below her heart and began to grow. Soon the globe of power surrounded her. The assembled crowd began to back away though it was taking most of Ryoga strength to pull Akane away.  
  
The demon horde broke through the last remnant of the gate and began to make their approach to crowd. There were screams of terror and utter madness as people tried to flee.  
  
Suddenly the ball around Nabiki exploded. It moved through the crowd, leaving them completely intact. But the moment it hit the monsters, they exploded into dust, completely incinerated by the electrical blast. The ball kept moving until it was just beyond the burned out bridge.  
  
There was complete silence. The villagers picked themselves up and looked around. Nothing was left of the attacking horde but dust. Outside the gate, they could see several demons attempting to break through the wall. But as each of them touch it, they evaporated into dust.  
  
The energy shield had been cast and the town of Kurast was safe. When things had calmed down, Akane ran up to her sister. But Nabiki made no move to recognize her. She was still levitating and her eyes were still blank.  
  
Nabiki, middle Tendo daughter, always considered among her peers to think of nothing else but herself and money, had just made the ultimate sacrifice. She became a living shield to protect the town against any aggression. The power of the ancient blade fueling her spell, she would remain like this for eternity. 


	18. Act 3, Quest 3: Kikyo's Flail

Author's note:  
  
Phew, okay, I'm taking a bit of time to say a couple of things. First of all, if you are reading this, you rock! Really, you make me so happy by just stopping to read my little story. I can't believe I actually inspired someone to finish the game and made another person think they should buy it (hmmm… maybe Blizzard should pay me some royalties). And can you believe that there are already over 60 reviews for this story?!?! I'm in complete shock!  
  
Anyway, thanks for wading through this and not making too much fun of the grammatical issues (Damn it Jim, I'm a computer scientist, not an English major!) I've got a pretty good idea of how the rest of the story is going to play out so here's a few teasers:  
  
1. There WILL be a cow level ^_^ Someone mentioned this, I love cow level, I couldn't do a Diablo story without it.  
  
2. Please don't kill me. More importantly, don't stop reading the story 'cause something makes you upset. This isn't going to be like a Greek tragedy, I promise!  
  
3. Diablo will be here… when I first started to write the story, I had a couple of Ranma characters as villains but to be honest… I started to run out of people!! So I'm pondering Diablo and who he might be…  
  
4. Special guest appearance in the story to the person who can correctly guess who Anya is going to be before we hit Quest 4.  
  
5. I have the rest of the story pretty much planned out so baring any major intrusions on my life, things should really get moving. And I think anyone who's played the game kind of knows what happens… of course, I already have at least a couple of post –game epilogue chapters planned so I'll try to make it a bit surprising.  
  
So without further ado (if you are even still reading this), enjoy the next chapter… the longest one so far! They keep growing!! But anyway, pour yourself a nice tall glass of Flayer goo and read on…  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
Soun Tendo looked up at the sky, watching the clouds gather. A low rumble of thunder signaled the approaching storm. He felt the first few drops on his face as he stood up. He picked up the blanket he had been sitting and wrapped it carefully over his daughter's shoulders.  
  
The blanket fizzled slightly before it fell to the ground. Soun looked up at the motionless form of Nabiki and closed his eyes. He tried to convince himself that this not happening, that when he opened his eyes, Nabiki would be looking at him with an annoyed look. Really Daddy, she would say, why do you always get so upset.  
  
But when he opened his eyes, there was. Like a blue statue suspended in the sky, she made no move. Her eyes never blinked, her chest never rose or fell, her lips never moved. His face was wet, though whether it was from the rain or tears, he couldn't tell. He picked up the blanket and placed it back on the ground, taking a seat there and resuming his watch.  
  
There were soft footsteps behind him. Soun didn't turn around, he knew who it was. A mass of white and black fur sat down next to him. He held his paw out and handed Soun a ceramic mug filled with a steaming brew. Soun took it wordlessly and drank it, hardly noticing that the rain had stopped falling on him as Genma-panda held up a make shift umbrella over him.  
  
* * *  
  
Mousse crunched the scroll in his hand before his tossed it across the room. How could he have missed it? How could he have just let Nabiki do that? He scoured through more scrolls, passing over his and Nabiki's notes, looking for anything that might give him a clue.  
  
The door opened and he looked over at the fuzzy form moving towards him. The distinct tapping of a wooden staff gave the person away immediately. He turned away from the door.  
  
"Go away," he said.  
  
"That's hardly the tone I deserve," Cologne said as she hopped next to him.  
  
Mousse snorted. "I'm sorry if I'm not thrilled to see you right now. Let me guess, you're here to tell me that I'm completely incompetent. That my blindness made me miss the signs. Or maybe that I'm just a fool who should never have been trying to look for an answer."  
  
Cologne sighed. "As much as you want to make me the villain," she said, "I'm not. I only follow the rules as they have been laid out for me. And I am not here to blame you. In fact, no one blames you, you're the only one who does."  
  
Mousse was wordless as he continued his work. Cologne frowned and walked over to a pile of papers and pushed them with her staff. She noticed something there and with a shake of her head, she gave the square of paper a hit with her staff.  
  
It flew across the room and caught him on the temple. He flinched and almost let out a protest when he realized the paper had his name scribbled on it in Nabiki's handwriting. He quickly unfolded the paper and read the note inside.  
  
Mousse, stop looking for what went wrong. I hid the papers that told me what I needed to do so you wouldn't tell anyone. Start looking for a way to get me out of this. Nabiki.  
  
"So what did it say?" Cologne asked, hoping over. She read the note and smiled. "Smart girl."  
  
"Is there a way to free her?" he asked.  
  
Cologne paused and thought about if for a moment. "Well, why did Nabiki cast the shield?"  
  
"To protect the town," he replied. Suddenly he stood up. "So if there was no reason that the town needed to be protected…"  
  
"Then there would be no need for a spell," she said.  
  
"But how do we get rid of the monsters," Mousse asked.  
  
Cologne smiled slightly. "I think that's up to you," she said. But by then, Mousse had already opened several books and was looking for an answer.  
  
* * *  
  
Akane sat in her room, arms wrapped around her knees as her chin rested between them. There were tiny sparkles on her cheek, left over bits of tears left from her last cry. She was determined not to cry again. She didn't think she could anyway. It felt like she was empty inside now, like there was nothing left.  
  
Lightning filled the air as the storm hit Kurast. Akane felt a surge of hope, thinking that it was Nabiki casting a spell. But the thunder followed soon afterwards and she realized it was just a storm and not her sister.  
  
Images flashed through her mind. Nabiki holding out her hand to help Akane up the wall to fight. Nabiki winking at her after she razzed Kuno. Nabiki making her promise to find Kasumi.  
  
And then Akane realized that even when someone felt completely empty, it was still possible to cry.  
  
Outside the room, Ranma and Ryoga looked at each other as they heard her starting to sob again. Ryoga frowned deeply and started to pace. Ranma laced his hands and put them behind his head.  
  
"We should do something," Ryoga said. "We should say something."  
  
"Yeah," Ranma said, "like what. Sorry Akane that Nabiki's a frozen statue out in the middle of town?"  
  
"I don't know!" Ryoga yelled. "Maybe you could try being supportive. Maybe you just sit next to her and tell her it will be all right."  
  
"Why me?" Ranma yelled back.  
  
"I don't know, maybe because she's your fiancée!" Ryoga answered. He frowned, realizing what he had just said. "Forget this," he said walking over and sticking his head outside an open window.  
  
His body shriveled down and a second later, a little black piglet popped out of his clothes and headed towards Akane's door. He pushed it open with his nose and trotted over to Akane. He squealed a bit to get her attention.  
  
Akane looked up and P-chan suddenly there. She did her best to smile and unfolded her legs, taking her little bet and putting him in her lap. Absent-mindedly, she began to pet him, but he could tell her heart wasn't in it.  
  
Ranma watched the scene with frown. Ryoga was right, he should just do something. He could walk in and be supportive. But then Akane could just tell him to get lost. She probably didn't even want him around. Besides, one look at the grief stricken face and he'd probably just fall apart right there.  
  
Amazing that a man who could face demons without batting an eyelash somehow could not find the courage to move his feet the twenty feet or so to get to her. He could watch a monster flop around in the agony of death couldn't bear to look at her tear filled eyes. All the armor and weaponry in the world the world was going to help him in this battle.  
  
Suddenly, there were footsteps behind him. Ranma whipped around and came face to face with a stranger. His blue eyes pierced through Ranma, looking straight into the room. The guy looked pretty beat up. His hands were completely covered in bandages as was most of his mouth and throat.  
  
He walked around Ranma and straight into the room before Ranma could say a word. Akane looked up at sound and gasped slightly. She stood up quickly, letting P-chan fall on the ground, and quickly ran towards the guy. Before he could react, Akane had him engulfed in hug.  
  
"Shinnosuke!" she cried. "I thought you were dead!" It looked like he tried to say something but he stopped, his eyes squinting in pain. Akane started to cry again. "I'm so sorry," she said, between sobs.  
  
Shinnosuke paused and then carefully lifted an arm, placing it on the back of her head and slowly stroking her hair. He shot a look over at the empty door but whoever had been in the hall was gone.  
  
* * *  
  
"Try it again…"  
  
Shampoo paused and concentrated for a moment. "Sh… I am pleased meet Ukyo," she said softly.  
  
Ukyo nodded. "Good! See, every time you want to say Shampoo, just stop and try replacing it with I."  
  
Shampoo looked at the other girl. "Sha… I think this is stupid."  
  
Ukyo sighed. "You wanted to do some training."  
  
"Not in talking!" Shampoo cried. "Sha… I want practice fighting."  
  
Ukyo looked her. "No offense, but no one is really in the mood to do much fighting."  
  
Shampoo sighed. She knew that. And in truth she had begged Ukyo to help her train just to get her mind off things. Of course, she would rather be practicing spear throwing seeing as she had screwed up royally the last time she tried. But anything at this point was better than just moping around thinking of Nabiki. Or worse, thinking about Mo...  
  
"Hey!" Mousse said, suddenly coming down the stairs. "Anyone here!"  
  
Ukyo rolled her eyes before she waved. "Over here Mousse," she said. Mousse nodded and followed the sound of her voice. As soon as he got close, he realized she wasn't alone.  
  
Rather than make things worse, he just forgot the fact that Shampoo was right there probably staring daggers at him. "I have an idea about how to get Nabiki free."  
  
That certainly caught their attention. "How?" they both asked at the same time.  
  
Mousse quickly related what he and Cologne had discussed. "So I went through some papers and I came across this story about a legendary woman who had the courage to stand up against evil and defeat it. After she died, several parts of her body were scattered across this region, protected so that if the day ever arrived that evil would have to be fought again, they could be gathered and melded together."  
  
"How?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"The same way we got the Horadric staff," Mousse said. "The only problem is that the location of the items isn't written down."  
  
"That big problem," Shampoo said. "Big area to look for. Not enough time."  
  
"Right," Mousse said. "But Cologne said that we might get lucky if we ask the same guy that gave that potion to Akane. "  
  
"Why?"  
  
Mousse shrugged. "I don't know. I think she said something about him being here a really long time."  
  
* * *  
  
Mousse's face suddenly made contact with the door. He took a few steps back and looked over at Shampoo and Ukyo.  
  
"What! I just said knock on the door!"  
  
"Mousse think we no listen when Akane and Ranma tell us about hentai that lives inside?"  
  
"This on is all yours, sugar."  
  
Mousse was about to protest more but apparently his heading hitting the door, resembled a knock because whoever was inside opened the door.  
  
"Whatcha want?"  
  
"Ah, excuse me, sir," Mousse said with a bow, "we wanted to…"  
  
Suddenly a blur of maroon flew by his face and sent him back on the ground. Ukyo screamed and threw up a full body block while Shampoo grabbed her spear and swatted down whatever was attaching them. A little lump on the ground looked up at her with hurt eyes.  
  
"That's him!" Mousse cried. "Get him!"  
  
Shampoo quickly crouched and tried to make a grab for him, only to have him launch an attack at her chest. She diverted him with a spear swing only to have him bounce of her spear and right towards Ukyo. Thankfully, she had regained her composure and was just a tad angry. The kick she launched at him would have taken out a dozen demons but he managed to avoid it and land on the ground behind her. His hand whipped forward and he managed to give a good punch on the rear.  
  
Giggling, he sped away, knowing not to push his luck. But suddenly there was a staff in his way. He stopped short before he hit and shot a glance over to the owner.  
  
"Well, well," Cologne said. "I thought that maybe it would be you. How are you Happy?"  
  
Happosai grimaced at the name. "As if you really wanted to know. You exiled me here."  
  
Cologne lifted an eyebrow. "You were the one who decided to pillage our private store of clothes for underwear. And then fondle all the statues of our goddess and heroines!"  
  
Happosai shrugged. "That's hardly worth a permanent…"  
  
"Need I mention the incident with the tribal elder before me?" Cologne said.  
  
Happosai smiled innocently.  
  
"LET ME AT HIM!"  
  
Happosai and Cologne looked over and saw Mousse and Shampoo struggling to keep Ukyo back. "Perhaps we can discuss this somewhere else," Cologne said, motioning at Happosai. Somehow, he didn't argue with that at all.  
  
* * *  
  
Finding hot water when you're a pig is hard, unless someone tries to have pork stew. But Ryoga managed to get out of Akane's room and hobble downstairs until he found a cup of tea that someone had left out.  
  
Of course, changing from a pig to a naked boy probably wouldn't be the greatest idea in the middle of a dining room. Well, this wasn't going to…  
  
Suddenly P-chan was off the ground, grabbed by the collar and being taken against his will, up the stairs and … back to his clothes? He landed on them and felt the hot tea being poured on him.  
  
As soon as he had gotten his clothes back on, he looked over and saw Ranma holding the cup. He was about to say thanks when he saw the look on Ranma's face. Somehow, he really wanted to be a pig again.  
  
"Come on," Ranma said. "I want to get some sparing done."  
  
Ryoga shook his head. "Despite what everyone think, I'm not dumb. I'm not going to be your punching bag 'cause your fiancée is in her room with another guy."  
  
That looked like it hit Ranma harder then any punch Ryoga could have thrown. Ryoga almost felt the urge to apologize but before he could formulize a thought, Ranma was already calling out the window.  
  
"Let's go," Ranma said. "It looks like the others found something." Ryoga followed Ranma down the stairs and outside to where Ukyo, Shampoo, Mousse and Cologne were standing.  
  
"It's called Kikyo's Flail," Cologne began. "If we can assemble pieces we can use this weapon to defeat evil."  
  
"How?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"It's not the Flail itself," Mousse broke in. "The weapon doesn't defeat evil, it just opens a portal that will lead you to true evil."  
  
"Great," Ukyo said. "Sounds like fun."  
  
"If you can defeat this evil," Cologne said, "then you should rid this land of whatever plagues it."  
  
"That'll work," Ryoga said.  
  
"Then let's go," Ranma said standing up.  
  
"Wait a minute," Cologne snapped. "There are four pieces to collect before you can…"  
  
"Fine, Ryoga. You and Ukyo get the first one. Shampoo and Mousse take the second. I'll get the third and we'll meet to get the fourth."  
  
"Ah…" Mousse started.  
  
"Maybe Sha… I go with Ukyo," Shampoo said.  
  
"I don't think you should go alone, Ran-chan," Ukyo added.  
  
"Look, I really don't want to get into a big debate," Ranma yelled. "Just go with who I said!"  
  
Everyone fell silent and looked at him. They couldn't recall Ranma ever being… well, that angry. Not unless something was after Akane.  
  
Before Ranma could say another word, he felt a shadow fall over his back. Looking behind him he saw his father.  
  
"The choices stand," Genma said firmly. "Mousse and Ryoga would be the blind leading the lost. Ranma, you're coming with me."  
  
There was something about the tone he used that made any sort of argument seem out of the question. Ukyo just shrugged and shot an apologetic look over to Shampoo who seemed less than thrilled with prospect.  
  
"Ryoga and Ukyo," Genma stated, "take the Spider Cavern and find her eye. Shampoo and Mousse, it's back to the Flayer Jungle."  
  
"Come on, Ryoga," Ukyo said, grabbing him. "Just stay close and try not to get lost."  
  
"Flayer?" Shampoo asked. "Why no send us to Spider cavern?"  
  
Genma looked at Shampoo with skepticism. "Because Mousse would scream like a little girl at the first spider."  
  
"HEY!" Mousse cried.  
  
Shampoo threw up her hands and started to walk away. Lucky for Mousse he got a glimpse of her retreating form and took off after her.  
  
Genma looked over at Ranma. "Are you ready?"  
  
"Ready for what?" Ranma asked.  
  
"To go out and kill any monster that comes with in fifteen feet of us," Genma said grimly, looking over to where Soun sat.  
  
Ranma nodded. "Oh yeah," he said with a stern nod. "That's not going to be a problem."  
  
* * *  
  
"Shampoo would you wait up!"  
  
Shampoo stopped short and put her hands on her hips. Mousse finally caught up with her, though it took him a few moments to catch his breath.  
  
"Can you please not run," Mousse said.  
  
"Need get to Flayer fast."  
  
Mousse paused. Shampoo hated Flayers as much as the rest of them but it looked like she couldn't wait to get there. Like she was running away from something much worse then them. Then he suddenly got it.  
  
"Fine," Mousse said, somewhat resigned. "Just go, I'll keep up."  
  
Shampoo paused for a moment before she took off again. That went… better than she had expected it.  
  
* * *  
  
"And that's it," Akane said, looking up at her place from the floor. She had just given Shinnosuke the rehash of what had happened since the shipwreck. He nodded slowly and motioned outside.  
  
"Thanks," Akane said. "I just really miss her already." She paused and looked at him. "What about you, what happened? I mean, I know you can't talk right now but…"  
  
Shinnosuke waved his arms in protest. He made a wave motion with this hand, and then a few swimming motions. He pointed at Akane, then made tearing motions and finally pretending he had brought something up to his mouth and pretended to bit into it.  
  
"The harness looked like someone had torn it to shreds," Akane said. "But I didn't think that… I'm so sorry. Can I…"  
  
Shinnosuke nodded and carefully pulled at a bandage on his hand and showed her the rope burns. Then he carefully pulled down the bandage around his mouth to show her the damage. His lips completely shredded and he made no move to open his mouth.  
  
"Shinnosuke," she said reaching out to touch the wounds. He backed away reflexively and let the bandage fall back into place.  
  
He looked back at her and shook his arms to show he didn't take it as any offense. Akane nodded. "Okay," she said. "Why don't I introduce you to the others?" Shinnosuke nodded and followed Akane as she walked out the door.  
  
She was a bit surprised to find Cologne sitting by herself in the dinning area. She looked around for the others, even listened for their voices.  
  
"Cologne," she asked finally. "Where is everyone?"  
  
"They left," Cologne replied.  
  
"What do you mean they left?" Akane cried.  
  
Cologne shrugged. "They found something that might help your sister and they went after it."  
  
Akane's face grew red and she clenched her fist. "Why didn't they say anything to me?"  
  
"I guess they thought you were busy," Cologne said with a smile, looking at Shinnosuke.  
  
Akane followed her gaze and realized what the old crone was thinking. But if she was right, then…  
  
Akane turned around and left Cologne behind. Shinnosuke managed to grab her arm and shoot her a questioning glance. "I'm going after them," she said. "Stay here." He shook his head. "You're injured and it's not like…" But he just shook his head again. Akane sighed and realized it was pointless to debate things. "Come on," she said with a sigh, leading him out the door.  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma knelt down to the ground and looked out at the people walking around Lower Kurast. He looked over to his father.  
  
"I thought you said this place was deserted," he whispered.  
  
Genma nodded. "It is… those things are not alive. At least, not alive like us."  
  
"So we can kill them?" Ranma asked. Genma nodded.  
  
Before Genma could say another word, Ranma had drawn his sword and was walking towards them. It was in the moment, that Genma realized his own anger might have made him blind to something. This was not Ranma getting upset over Nabiki. This was Ranma angry over something much bigger.  
  
The Zealots turned and saw him approaching. Quickly, they altered their courses so they would catch him. But Ranma's aura flashed an ugly red and most of them were engulfed in a wave of flames before he could even use his sword.  
  
Unlike most monsters, the Zealots appeared to have at least half a brain and decided that massing on him was probably not the best idea. They scattered, seeking shelter in the neighboring jungle. But as soon as they were there, they heard a growl that was not from any monster ally they knew about.  
  
Genma, in werewolf form, shredded about three of them with his first strike. They tried to retreat again but met Ranma head on and finally gave him the chance to use his blade. Genma morphed back to human form and nodded at his son.  
  
"This isn't about Nabiki," he said, "is it?"  
  
Ranma's eyes darkened a bit. "It doesn't matter," he said, taking off and looking for an entrance to the sewers.  
  
* * *  
  
Shampoo lined up her spear with the shaman's head. This was not going to fail. She was going to hit her target. She was going to prove that she was not losing her skills because she might be a bit distracted.  
  
She let the spear fly and watched as it headed straight for its target only clip him on the top of the head. She watched with horrified eyes as the shaman turned to her with angry eyes. She was going to get fire spit at her again.  
  
Standing up, Shampoo ran towards the shaman, knowing full well that he was going to try to roast her. She waiting until she was within his fire range and pushed off the ground to jump to her right, pushing off a tree trunk and bringing her knees to her chest as she flipped over the shaman's head. He spit his fire, following her path in the air but she was always a few inches out of its reach.  
  
Shampoo landed on the ground hard and had to roll a few times to kill of some momentum. As soon as she stopped rolling, she got up running and headed towards where her spear was. Reaching over she grabbed her spear, turned and shoved it right into the approaching shaman's chest. Pulling it out, she quickly took care of the Flayer beneath him. She wasn't about to forget what happened the last time.  
  
As soon as they were both dead, she turned back to the jungle and called out. "NOW!" she screamed before scrambling up a tree just as the Flayers started to come after her.  
  
The area below her erupted as several bone spears ripped through the area and tore the little beasts to shreds. Anything that wasn't hit initially definitely felt something when the corpse explosion spell was cast. Simple plan, really, but it always seemed to have the same result. Flayer goo.  
  
Shampoo climbed down the tree just as Mousse stood up. "That worked," he said. "Now…"  
  
"Mousse!" Shampoo cried, throwing her spear. It whistled right by his ear and landed with a distinct thud behind him. Looking to where she had thrown, Mousse could barely make out the quivering form of a second shaman.  
  
"Nice throw," he said softly. Shampoo walked over and grabbed the spear, trying to hide her smile. She had finally hit the little bugger. Of course, it had taken Mousse being in dire danger for it to happen but…  
  
She looked down and realized that underneath her spear, an axe had split the Flayer in two. Looking up, she saw Ryoga and Ukyo coming through the forest.  
  
"Told you it was them," Ukyo said. "Look what we found!" she said holding up a box with an eye it. Mousse leaned forward and looked at it with a nod.  
  
"Damn," Ryoga said. "I knew we should have swapped it for a spider. Man, the look on your face would have been priceless."  
  
"Thanks Ryoga," Mousse said a bit upset.  
  
Ryoga shrugged. "Well, Ukyo said something about it not being a good idea since you tend to lose your head and do stupid things when you see one."  
  
Silence.  
  
"Yeah," Mousse said, trying not to sound too angry. "Stupid, meaningless, completely out of character things that I would never do for any reason otherwise." Well, at least he almost convinced himself. And from the blistering heat he felt from Shampoo's glare, it appeared she believed it too.  
  
She turned on her heel and threw up the door to the Flayer dungeon stomping down it. With a sigh, Mousse went after her. Ukyo looked at Ryoga with an angry glare and smacked him upside the head.  
  
"Hey!" Ryoga protested.  
  
"You and I, honey, are having a long talk after this," she said, dragging him down into the dungeons.  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma's sword came down with a devastating blow. He hit the creature again and again until after awhile he didn't even realize what he was doing. Who was that guy? And why was he so friendly with Akane? And why didn't she hit him or call him names like she did to him?  
  
"Ranma!" Ranma looked up and saw his father looking at him. "I think you killed it."  
  
Ranma looked down and realized that he couldn't even tell what the creature was anymore. It was almost completely pounded into the ground. He took a step back and suddenly he realized that this was a problem. A paladin was never supposed to lose control like this.  
  
What the hell was wrong with him? He never had problems like this before. Nothing phased him at all. But now, he saw Akane being friendly with some guy and he wanted to kill things because of it. It was even worse then the feeling of fear he felt on the ship after they realized Akane wasn't there.  
  
It wasn't anger. At least, it wasn't anger at Akane or the guy or anything. It was at himself. Because he knew he was a coward. Because it probably should have been in that room instead of that guy.  
  
"Ranma!" Genma called, pointing to the jungle. It took a minute to realize that the dark clouds were not rain but smoke clouds. It looked like the jungle was on fire. Why would the jungle be on…  
  
Genma blinked and Ranma was gone. Well, at least the boy realized what was going on without a long explanation. Too bad Genma had no idea where he went off to. With a shrug, Genma walked down into the sewers to retrieve the next item.  
  
* * *  
  
"Hang on Shinnosuke!" Akane called. "I'll get him the next time."  
  
Akane held up her hand and recited the spell, holding the last word on the tip of her tongue while she waited for the creature to emerge. The swamp water bubbled and Akane dropped her hand, casting Inferno.  
  
The fire dissipated and Akane got ready to celebrate. The only problem was that the creature was still very much alive. And apparently rather upset at being set on fire. It shot a wad of green poison at her and Shinnosuke barely had time to pull her out.  
  
"It's not working!" she cried. "So long as it's in the water, my fire spells just won't work." Worse than that, she was hitting trees instead.  
  
Shinnosuke looked around for something to help and grabbed a fallen branch. He held it up for Akane to see. "Right!" she said. She cast her Enchant spell and repeated the process for herself. She nodded at Shinnosuke and they took off towards the edge of the water, with enchanted clubs raised.  
  
The tentacles reached out of the water and the duo hit them sharply with the clubs. There was a squeal of pain as the creature drew its tentacles back into the water. Akane smiled and looked over at Shinnosuke. He nodded with appreciation.  
  
They were about to continue on there way when the swamp exploded and the monster itself emerged from the swamp. They backed up quickly as a tentacle hit the ground in front of them. Shinnosuke took a good swipe at it and hit it square on. But instead of retracting, it wrapped itself around his legs and started to drag him into the water.  
  
Akane tried to get a spell together but the sheer panic of it all she couldn't find the words. She ran forward to grab his hand and fell onto the ground. Her hands reached forward and wrapped around his. It would have been a rather heroic move if she hadn't suddenly found herself moving towards the water. She felt the dirt pushing into her skin, scratching the surface of her arms as the creature pulled. She had to close her eyes against the dust and could only wait of the cold blast of swamp water.  
  
Then suddenly it stopped. Akane opened her eyes and realized she wasn't moving. She looked forward quickly to make sure that Shinnosuke was still there. He looked back at her a bit dazed but okay. Akane stood up slowly and got a good glimpse of the tentacle, or better yet what was left of it.  
  
The creature let out a horrible scream and Akane finally found the source of its anguish. A sword was completely embedded in its eye. Ranma reached forward and pulled it out only to strike again. As the monster died, Ranma jumped off the head to avoid getting wet and landed on the ground next to the two.  
  
"Ranma!" Akane said, helping Shinnosuke up. "We were trying to find you. Why did you leave without telling me! Especially on a quest that might help my sister!"  
  
"You seemed a bit busy," Ranma said, shooting a glance at Shinnosuke as he put his sword away.  
  
Akane looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Wait a minute, the old crone was right?" she said. "Are you… jealous?"  
  
Ranma got flustered. "That's not what I'm saying!"  
  
"Yes it is! I can't believe it. What did you…" She looked out at Shinnosuke and he just gave her a shrug. She looked back at Ranma. "No…"  
  
"Forget it," Ranma said. "Just forget it."  
  
"No, I really want to know," Akane said, putting her hands on her hips.  
  
"It doesn't matter," Ranma yelled back. "Just do whatever you want with… what is your name anyway?" Shinnosuke looked at him blankly. "What you can't talk or something?"  
  
Akane's anger flared. "No, he can't. His name is Shinnosuke and he was a sailor on the ship I was on after I left Lut Gholeim. He's hurt because he saved me when we got shipwrecked."  
  
Akane looked at Ranma. "But then, it's not like you ever thought to ask me. I mean, after all when the hell would you care about what is actually the truth when it comes to me. You just need some empty headed doll that kind of looks like me and that's enough isn't it?"  
  
Ranma blinked like he had been slapped. Suddenly things had been turned around and he was the one getting grilled.  
  
"How couldn't you have known," she cried, a little sob escaping her throat. "How couldn't you have known that it wasn't me? She was a doll, she didn't even act like me. And you just followed her around like she was me! Do you know what it feels like to realize you can be that easily replaced in someone's life?"  
  
There was silence. Neither Ranma nor Shinnosuke moved. The only tangible sound was the bubbling of the swamp.  
  
"Well, our timing sucks," Ukyo said. Turning quickly, Akane realized that others had snuck in while she was yelling.  
  
"Just… just forget it," Akane said and started to walk away.  
  
"Akane," Ranma said, trying to catch her. But Shinnosuke got in the way. He gave Ranma a cold glance before he headed after Akane.  
  
"Somehow," Ukyo said to the three people with her. "I think saying we had the eye and heart won't really create the celebratory mood we were hoping for."  
  
"Ukyo say real obvious thing," Shampoo said.  
  
The wind picked up and it looked like a storm was brewing to the north. But there was something unnatural about this storm. The clouds swirled into a perfect spiral, save a single point in the center where it was clear.  
  
"Hey, where's Mr. Saotome?" Ukyo asked, softly.  
  
"I'm guessing he's there," Ryoga said pointing to the storm. "Hey Ranma! I think your pop is in trouble."  
  
* * *  
  
Druids are powerful folk. That's a well known fact in the world so most people know well enough to avoid making them upset. But then monsters are different like that. They don't have much smarts to begin with, so they don't know when it's probably not a good idea to tick a druid off.  
  
Genma was upset to begin with. He had to watch a good friend of his suffer because monsters like this wouldn't leave Kurast alone. So in retrospect, it probably wasn't a good idea to attack him as he came out of the sewers carrying Kikyo's brain. But the horde of monsters never really got a chance to second guess themselves.  
  
In seconds, Genma had managed to conjure up a huge storm, one of the largest he had ever done by himself. If there was any part of his mind that wasn't filled with thoughts of revenge, he might have been impressed with what he had done.  
  
Well, okay, he was a little impressed. And he couldn't help but smile as the horde disappeared into the maelstrom. As soon as it was clear, he began to walk back towards where he had left his son.  
  
"Pop!" Ranma said as he ran up, most of the rest of the group following close behind. He stopped short and looked around, the calmness of the area made him feel completely uncomfortable.  
  
"Ranma!" His father scolded. "You left your father behind to deal with these monsters all by himself! Well, at least you managed to find everyone else. And Akane too! With…"  
  
"Look, we've got the brain and the eye," Ukyo said, holding them up. Shampoo shot her an angry glance. "Sorry, I just wanted someone to be happy about it."  
  
"Then we've almost got all of it," Genma said. "All we need is the flail. Come on, it's got to be nearby."  
  
* * *  
  
"Well, at least we know what happened to everyone in Kurast," Ukyo said.  
  
Which wasn't entirely a good thing, Genma thought as he took in a deep breath and nodded slowly. The stone walls were smeared with blood. Makeshift altars still had body parts lying on top of them. Monster milled around the area, traipsing over the articles that once belong to the inhabitants of the village.  
  
"All right," Genma said. "I think the ones near the temple are the leaders of this horde. We'll have to take them out first and then we'll do clean up with the rest of the them. Mousse, Shampoo take the two on the left. Ryoga and Ukyo, take the two on the right. Ranma and I will take the others."  
  
"What about me?" Akane asked softly.  
  
Genma looked at her. He nodded at the others to tell them to go ahead before he turned to Akane. "Akane, I need you to stay here and cast fire walls to protect us."  
  
"You mean, stay out of the way," Akane said.  
  
"Yes," Genma replied. Akane was about to protest but Genma silenced her quickly. "I'm not about to explain to your father how I managed to lose another one of his daughters. Ranma, let's go."  
  
Ranma gave Akane one last look before took off after his father. Akane sighed and looked over at Shinnosuke.  
  
"Sorry," she said. "You and me get to sit around while everyone else has fun."  
  
Shinnosuke looked relieved. His last encounter with a monster was something he would like to forget. Or at least until he was back in full health. He hit Akane's arm to get her attention. When she was looking at him, grabbed the back of his hair and pulled it out.  
  
"Pony tail?" Akane said. "Oh pig tail! You mean Ranma."  
  
Shinnosuke nodded. Akane didn't say anything. He motioned to her and repeated the motion.  
  
"Oh, it's a… long story," she said softly. Shinnosuke motioned around to the quick area. Akane sighed and walked a couple of steps away from him. "Well, it's like this…"  
  
"Ah, Akane…"  
  
Akane looked up and saw Ranma suddenly back. "What is it?" she asked.  
  
"Pop said there's an ice based leader out there so can you…enchant my sword."  
  
Akane sighed. What had she been expecting? An apology? An invitation to fight along side him? "Sure," she said, somewhat annoyed.  
  
She took a few steps forward, grabbing her staff and beginning to word the spell when suddenly, her foot sank in the ground. "What the…"  
  
The floor underneath her collapsed and she dropped her staff in surprise. "Akane!" Ranma called, dropping his sword and leaping after her. He got a good grip on her hand but her momentum downward was too much and he followed her into the hole.  
  
By the time Shinnosuke realized what was happening, they were gone. He looked down the hole and only saw darkness. And worse, he could hear the sounds of battle in the distance. Looking at the fallen sword, he realized what he had to do. He picked it up and headed back towards Genma. 


	19. Act 3, Quest 4 : The Blessed Staff

Author's note: Hee hee, no one got who Anya was yet. There is a very small clue but its way back in the chapters and I don't think most people even noticed it.  
  
I hope this chapter is okay. I don't feel its one of my best but at the same I have stuff on my mind. I just got a new kitten that I named Ryoga but he's been sneezing a lot so I'm afraid he's sick. But it's off to the vet tomorrow, so hopefully things will be all right. Plus, as I'm sure you'll realize when you get to the end of this chapter, I have a big scene planned for the next quest (one that's been in the works for a long time in my head) and I really wanted to get to writing it. So if you're lucky, it might be out before the weekend.  
  
Thanks again for the reviews. You all rock!  
  
  
  
---------  
  
Ranma woke up with a pounding headache and a slightly numb hand. His eyes blinked open and he realized he was in complete darkness. He slowly got up and sat on his knees. Looking up, he could barely make out the hole they had fallen through. It must have been a long fall. It's amazing he wasn't hurt more.  
  
Suddenly he remembered that Akane had fallen with him. Standing up quickly, he searched around the ground, trying to find her in the darkness. Finally he hit on someone soft and realized it was her foot.  
  
"Akane?" he asked, sliding over to where she was. He got a muffled response. "Akane are you all right?"  
  
Akane slowly woke, finding herself with a headache that probably rivaled Ranma. "Ow," she said. "That really hurts."  
  
"What hurts?  
  
"Everything."  
  
He sighed. "Be more specific, I can't see anything."  
  
"My head and my foot."  
  
"This one?"  
  
Akane cringed as she felt his hand wrap around her ankle. "OWW! Yes, that one!" she yelled.  
  
"Sorry!" he yelled back.  
  
"Wait," Akane said. She reached around and tried to find her wand. "I can't find my wand. Quick, get your sword."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"So I can enchant it and we can see," she said. Ranma nodded and began to look around him. The only thing he found, however, was that he right arm was killing him. He had one potion but he didn't want to use it before he knew how Akane was.  
  
"I can't find it," he said after a while. "But I think… yeah, I found a stick."  
  
"Hold it up," Akane said. She enchanted the stick, just as she had done with Shinnosuke not moments before. The stick became red and glowed softly. As soon as it did, Ranma got a good look at his arm and saw it was clearly broken.  
  
Bringing down the glow stick, he got a good look at Akane's leg. "It's broken too."  
  
"What do you mean too?" she asked.  
  
"My arm," he said softly. "Looks like it doesn't matter that I don't have my sword."  
  
Akane sighed softly and sat up. Looking around, she could barely make out the walls. They appeared to have writing on them but it wasn't in a language she could understand. There were a couple of pictures but they looked fairly crude. Apart from the decorations on the wall, the place was empty.  
  
"Where are we?" she asked softly.  
  
Ranma stopped looking around and shook his head. "I don't know. Somewhere under Kurast." Slowly he stood up and looked down at Akane. "Can you stand?"  
  
Akane nodded and tried to stand up. But the moment she put pressure on her broken leg, she collapsed back onto the ground. Ranma dropped the stick to catch her and barely managed to hang on as pain crisscrossed up his arm.  
  
"I'm sorry," Akane said softly as he let her sit back on the ground.  
  
"It's okay, I can carry you," he said.  
  
"No you can't. Your arm is broken."  
  
"It's not that bad."  
  
"Are there any more sticks, maybe we can bandage it first?"  
  
Ranma nodded. "Yeah I think I felt some more around. Here, hold the torch while I look."  
  
Akane took it from him and wrapped her hands around it to get a firm grip. It was then that she noticed that it was unusually smooth for wood. And it seemed to curve out of the ends.  
  
"Ranma…"  
  
"What's wrong Akane?" he asked picking up a few more branches.  
  
"These aren't branches," she said, a little bit of fear in her voice. "They're bones."  
  
Ranma looked down at what he was picking up and suddenly saw a skull. The whole skeleton lay before him. Gingerly, he reached forward and looked at the curved claw that lay in between its chest.  
  
"Is there something dangerous in here?" she asked.  
  
Ranma looked over his shoulder at her and back down at the claw. "No, nothing like that."  
  
"So he just died here because no one could find him."  
  
"Well, maybe he didn't have as many friends as we do up there," Ranma said pointing to the sky. "Still, I don't think we should wait around."  
  
"But how…"  
  
"I think I have an idea."  
  
* * *  
  
"Now don't get offended or nothing…"  
  
"All right, just don't squeeze to tight."  
  
Ranma wrapped his good arm around Akane's waist and slowly lifted her up. "Are you okay?"  
  
Akane looked down to where her bad leg was tied up against Ranma. His bad arm was in a sling around his neck, all the bandages being made from excess fabric from his clothes. She held the torch in one hand (as she desperately tried to forget what it was) and tentatively wrapped her arm around his waist.  
  
"Yeah, it doesn't really hurt," Akane said.  
  
"Okay, we'll go out and in," he said. "And we'll move slowly. "Ready?" she nodded. "Out." Akane put her good foot forward, leaning slightly on him for support. "In." She loosened the muscles in her leg and let him lift her foot and bring it forward.  
  
Amazingly enough, after several minutes of doing this, they hadn't fallen. They managed to traverse the hallway they had fallen in and entered a small room. Inside were numerous books a wooden desk, and a small bed.  
  
"This looks like someone's room," Akane said.  
  
"Yeah. Here, why don't you sit on the bed and rest? I want to see if there's anything useful in this place."  
  
They walked over and Akane took a seat, slowly lowering herself onto the bed. Ranma leaned down and untied her leg from his. Taking the torch from her, he began to search around the room for anything useful. After a few minutes of watching him, Akane felt a bit useless. She started to search around the bed itself for anything that would be of interest.  
  
Reaching under the pillow she felt something graze her skin. With a cry, she snapped her hand back and saw a thin red line across her index finger.  
  
"What happened?" Ranma said doubling back to her.  
  
"Something sharp, under the pillow," she said, sucking on her finger.  
  
He lifted up the pillow and saw the tiny dagger there. "You need to be more careful," he said, taking it with him.  
  
"You're welcome," she said back angrily.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You're welcome," she said again. "I found something useful and your only response was to criticize me."  
  
Ranma balked. "Yeah, I'm so sorry I actually cared about your safety."  
  
"It's not that! It's that you think I can't take care of myself."  
  
"No, I think that you should be more careful. Why do you always make things worse then they are?"  
  
"I don't know," Akane yelled back, "maybe because I've come to expect the worst from you."  
  
Ranma looked like he was slapped. He shook his head and walked away, grabbing the torch and finding something interesting in the bookshelf to stare at. Akane sighed and let her wounded hand fall. Well that definitely ranked as the stupidest thing she had said to date.  
  
"Look," she said firmly. "I can take care of myself, I did it for those weeks I was on the ship."  
  
"Right until you needed that guy to save you."  
  
"Are we still on that?" Akane yelled. "What is your problem with him?"  
  
"Nothing," Ranma mumbled.  
  
"Of course," Akane cried. "I don't get to have friends that are guys, do I? I mean, it doesn't matter that you've got half the female population of this following you around like sick puppies."  
  
"You think I really like that?" he said taking a few steps forward.  
  
"You sure look like you enjoy it."  
  
Ranma was about to say something more when he heard something coming down the hall. Moving quickly, he put his hand over Akane's mouth to keep her quiet and shoved the glowing torch under the bed. She looked like she was about to get really angry but the second she heard the noise, she nodded and he let his hand drop.  
  
Watching the door, they saw several glowing specters float by. Akane's eyes opened wide and she had to refrain from screaming. Ghosts, they were in a place that was haunted.  
  
As soon as they were gone, Akane felt Ranma tying their legs back together. She couldn't agree more. They really needed to find a way out of here.  
  
* * *  
  
Akane and Ranma slowly walked down the halls. They had their torch but it seemed to glow brighter than before, as if it knew that they were in danger and wanted to attract the monsters right to them. Ranma had the dagger on his belt but he knew it wasn't going to be a match against ghosts. In fact, most of his physical attacks weren't going to work. It would be up to Akane.  
  
He heard her gasp and went to ask what was wrong. But then he saw the bright light fall on her face. He turned and saw that they were standing at the entranceway of a lighted room. Relived, they walked inside, feeling a sense of peace encompass them as they did.  
  
"What is this?" Ranma asked as they walked to the middle of the room.  
  
"It's a sanctuary," Akane said softly. "We must be in a temple and this is…" she paused. Growing in the center of the room was a tiny tree, feeding off the light and the steady trickle of water from the ceiling. "This is someplace safe," she said softly.  
  
"Are you sure?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Yes, this is where…" Akane stopped. "In Tristram at the temple, this is where they brought my mother to die."  
  
Ranma was silent for a while. "I'm sorry," he said softly.  
  
"It's all right," Akane said with a sad smile. She led them to the tree. "It was a long time ago. But dad told us that when people are in danger, they go to seek sanctuary at temples and the temples protect them in a room like this. They say the light is divine, from Heaven itself."  
  
"Your mother was in danger?"  
  
"Dad said she was. But I think he was hoping that it would make her better. She wanted to go there too but I think… I think she knew and she wanted to be somewhere safe when she died."  
  
She slowly sat down beside the tree and untied her leg so she could rest. Reaching up, she let the water hit her hand, watching as the water dropped down her arm. "I used to go there all the time when I was growing up, I thought she was in the light." Looking up, she let the light fall on her face.  
  
"What about your mom?" Akane asked, as she pulled away from the light.  
  
Ranma shrugged as he took a seat next to her. "I don't really remember her. My memories make it feel like my life started when I was travelling with my dad. He doesn't talk about her much."  
  
"Haven't you ever gone home to find her?"  
  
"Never really had a home," he said softly.  
  
"Oh," Akane replied. "Sorry." She paused for a moment. "Well, it's not like I do anymore."  
  
"Tristram will be rebuilt," Ranma replied. "Pop and I have seen it happen. A town burns down and they build it back up."  
  
"I'll miss it," Akane says. "Even if it's rebuilt it won't be the same."  
  
"Don't think of it like that," he said. "I mean sure, it won't be exactly what you remembered or what you wanted but I'm sure you'll love it just the same."  
  
Akane blinked and looked at him, wondering if there was a double meaning to his words. But he just stared vacantly at the door. Right Akane, she thought to herself, like that was going to happen.  
  
"Why don't you rest?" he said. "If this place is safe, we may as well rest up before going on."  
  
Akane tried to protest but she was really tired. With a small nod, she curled up on the floor and went to sleep.  
  
Ranma watched her for a few moments. In this light, she was almost cute.  
  
With a small stretch, he leaned up against the tree, feeling its leaves tickle the back of his neck. He took in a deep breath and tried to close his eyes. But something prevented him from relaxing. Looking at the door, he watched, waiting to see some monster appear.  
  
Instead, he saw a faint glow around the frame and suddenly a woman appeared. Her brown hair was up in a bun and she smiled at him. She looked at him and motioned with her hand. She was so familiar…  
  
For whatever reason, Ranma stood up and slowly walked to the door. There should have been some common sense screaming at him, but his mind was numb as he followed the siren's song out the door.  
  
* * *  
  
Akane woke up ten minutes later. She looked around and realized Ranma was no longer there. She called his name a few times but he was gone. Would he have left her there by herself? Was he trying to find a way out?  
  
Akane looked around and realized she had no way to move. She could stand but the slightest pressure on her bad leg and she would be on the floor. But something told her she couldn't wait.  
  
Suddenly, the light from above flickered brightly. Surprised she watched as it slowly grew in intensity. The little tree began to react, growing new leaves and thickening in size. Akane reached forward and touched its bark, feeling it harden under her fingers.  
  
And then before she could do anything more, the light dimmed once more. The little tree's leaves turned gold and fell. It's branches withered, the bark began to peel and suddenly all that was left was a twisted staff.  
  
It fell next to her and Akane hesitantly reached forward to grab it. She brought it close to her face so she could get a better look. Tiny scratches dotted its shaft and if she didn't know any better, it was almost like they were runes.  
  
Then light from above began to flicker once more only this time, it started to dim. Akane looked up at and wondered if maybe she had been right as a child. She used the staff to push herself up and to lean on. Reaching up to the ceiling, she watched as the rays of light flickered and died.  
  
The staff suddenly felt heavy and looking at it, Akane saw a small crystal lodged at the top. She gingerly touched it and it began to glow, providing a light in the darkness.  
  
With the divine light out, Akane realized how cold and dangerous the room had become. The protection it had once provided was gone and pretty soon, the place would be flood with demons.  
  
Now was no time to panic, though and so Akane limped out of the room, hanging onto the staff for dear life.  
  
* * *  
  
Akane turned the corner and grabbed onto the wall. This was harder than she thought. What was worse is that she really had no idea where she was going. She was kind of continuing the way she and Ranma had gone, hopefully finding the way out. But the underground temple was like a labyrinth and with so many side rooms, she began to doubt that she would ever find him.  
  
She heard something, a little whisper in her ear. Turning around quickly, she saw that nothing there. But she could have sworn someone had told her to turn right. It might be a trap, something told her. But for some reason, she felt that it was right. So she turned right and began to hobble down the narrow hallway.  
  
The voice had been right. The passageway led to the main temple altar. She had barely walked in the door when she realized what a huge mistake she had made.  
  
Ghosts filled the air, screaming a song that made Akane feel like her ears were going to start bleeding. A few corrupted Rogues looked over at her and Akane realized that they were standing around someone. It was Ranma and from the looks of it, he was completely out of it.  
  
"Ranma!" she called. But she got no response, save the scream of a couple of ghosts that flew near her. She felt the urge to run away in fear from them but her staff suddenly began to glow and the urge disappeared.  
  
Gripping it tightly, she formed the first words of her spell and waited for them to get close. As soon as they were in firing range, she let the Inferno go. The ghost screamed in pain as the fire ripped through them.  
  
The corrupted rouges charged then but a firewall stopped their advance. Several of them got caught in the flames and quickly disappeared into ash. The others doubled around, bounding on the column of the temple to avoid her hand the fire wall. But Akane never faltered and most of them got caught in another blast of Inferno.  
  
Akane thought she was winning when she heard the battle cry. Looking over, she saw what appeared to be a corrupted rouge heading right for her. A second later, it disappeared and Akane felt something smash into her jaw.  
  
She stumbled backwards, right onto her bag leg. It buckled beneath and Akane fell the ground. She saw the rouge once more and it set its eyes on her. It disappeared in a flash of color and Akane curled up to protect herself from the glow.  
  
The staff glowed suddenly and the corrupted rouge screamed right in front of her. Akane looked up quickly and realized this was her chance. She let Inferno loose and watched at the monster caught fire and died.  
  
Quiet descended on the temple save for the slow beat of the wooden staff as Akane made her way towards Ranma. She reached him and slowly lowered herself to a half kneel.  
  
"Ranma?" she said, giving him a little shake. His blue eyes looked cloudy and distant, like there was a spell over him. She tried again but nothing happened.  
  
She pulled the staff down and looked at the crystal. Carefully, she placed a hand on it and watched as the light flooded her palm. Lifting her hand slowly, she watched as the light stayed in her palm. Reaching forward, she hesitantly brought her hand forward and touched his cheek.  
  
The light glowed and his eyes began to clear. As the light faded, the staff on her lap suddenly disintegrated into dust. Ranma's eyes blinked and he suddenly realized that he was staring straight into Akane's eyes with her hand on his cheek.  
  
Before he had the chance to react, he saw something moved behind Akane's shoulder. A bit of white light, a couple of feathers and a smile moved quickly and disappeared. He blinked again and felt Akane's hand drop.  
  
"Are you all right?" she asked.  
  
A bit freaked out by what happened, Ranma nodded slowly. "Where am I?"  
  
"In the main temple courtyard," she said. "Why did you leave me behind?"  
  
Ranma blinked again, this time in surprise. "I didn't…" he stopped. "Wait. Did you think I left you behind?"  
  
The worry no longer need, Akane's face changed into a sad one. "I woke up and you were gone. I thought you left me behind." She shifted away from his and sat on the floor, letting her legs stretch out in front of her.  
  
"Why would you think I did that?" he asked. And then he remembered. "Oh…"  
  
This was his moment. This was the perfect moment to get out all the things that had been in his mind ever since the doll had been destroyed. This could be his moment to overcome the fear and find the courage to say what he wanted.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
He balked. Those words didn't come out of his mouth, did they? But the way Akane was looking at him, he realized that they had.  
  
"I'm sorry we didn't realize it was you in Lut Gholeim. She was there, she looked like you but you're right she didn't act like you. And I had a feeling that it wasn't you but I thought it was just because… because…"  
  
"Because why?" she asked softly.  
  
Because he really thought she liked Ryoga better. Because he was really afraid that she would suddenly act that cruel to him. Because he had just been afraid that he was losing her. Because…  
  
A scream broke through the silence. Ranma and Akane looked at each other.  
  
"That came from somewhere behind the altar," Akane said.  
  
Ranma nodded. Looking down at his foot, he realized the bandage was still there. Quickly he tied Akane's leg to his and they quickly walked over to the Altar. There were stairs leading up. It took most of Ranma's strength but he managed to get Akane and himself up the stairs and out onto a stone walkway.  
  
Looking around frantically, Akane saw the source of the scream. She was about to tell Ranma when she got a better glimpse of what was happening.  
  
They had found the others but the scene unfolding in front of them was unreal. It just couldn't be real. Suddenly Akane was crying out and Ranma was trying to get them there as quickly as possible. But they could not match the speed of Death as he swooped down and claimed his victim. 


	20. Act 3, Quest 5 : The Blackened Temple

Author's note:  
  
Congratulations Another Duck!! You guessed correctly ^_^ and now have a guest role slotted for an upcoming episode. And thanks for the great review. Drop me a line at cleovb@yahoo.com with the name you'd like to have appear (otherwise I will be forced to use your real name, Swedish boy ^_~).  
  
And yeah, last chapter wasn't a real Diablo quest but god, I got sick of sending them running after a scroll.  
  
Well, this is the big one. Hope it came out okay. I kind of have the next episode completely planned out and since I have to stay home all weekend to take care of my sick kitten, I'll probably get a chance to write it in the coming days.  
  
Thanks for all your reviews!  
  
  
  
======  
  
Act 3, Quest 5  
  
The Blackened Temple  
  
  
  
Genma grabbed onto his staff as he surveyed the area. Looking over his shoulder, he wondered where the hell his son had gone. How long did it take to enchant a sword? He knew things were strained between his son and his fiancée but hopefully they hadn't killed each other.  
  
Over to his right, Genma heard the sounds of fighting. He heard a barbarian war cry and realized that Ryoga and Ukyo had been found out. He needed to join the fray rather than let the two of them take all the heat. But where the hell was Ranma??  
  
The brush next to him began to move and Genma readied a barrage of insults to hurl at his son. But Shinnosuke emerged instead. Genma looked him over and realized that he was holding Ranma's sword.  
  
"Where's Ranma?" Genma demanded.  
  
Shinnosuke shook his head and tried to find the right motions to explain it. But suddenly, a monster crashed through the brush and Genma realized that Ranma would have to take care of himself.  
  
* * *  
  
It was Ryoga's fault!  
  
Ukyo let the blades from her hand express some of her frustration at their situation. Stupid Ryoga. Only he would walk straight at the monsters instead of heading towards Shampoo and Mousse to warn them about the fire powered monster near them.  
  
Ryoga let out another war cry as he brought his axe down and cleaved a monster in two. His axe got stuck in the mess of monster parts and he had to reach down to pull it free. The moment his attention was turned, one of the demons made a charge.  
  
"Ryoga!" Ukyo cried as she ran towards him. Before he could react, Ukyo was already in action. Placing one hand on his back, she used him like a vaulting horse and leapt over him, a firm foot outstretched and making contact with the monster's face. She followed up with a couple of slices and watched with satisfaction as the monster fell to the ground dead.  
  
"Thanks," Ryoga said as he brought his axe up to his shoulder.  
  
"No problem, sugar," she said with a smile. "Wouldn't want you to get wasted or anything. At least, no before I get a chance to pummel you for attracting these creeps to us."  
  
"Nice to know you care," Ryoga said, with an unhappy smile.  
  
* * *  
  
Shampoo heard the sounds of fighting nearby. Stupid pig boy probably just gave them away. Gripping her spear tightly, Shampoo was about to run over to help them when she felt a firm grip on her arm.  
  
Looking down, she saw Mousse holding on. "Let go," she hissed.  
  
Mousse shook his head. "There's something out there."  
  
"How blind boy see that?" she demanded.  
  
"I don't need to see it, I can feel it," he said softly. "That's reason enough not to go out. There's something very wrong with whatever is out there."  
  
She was about to argue further when she suddenly felt something land on her back. She fell forward right onto Mousse and they tumbled on the ground. Shampoo felt her head hit something one the way down and the world got a bit fuzzy.  
  
"Shampoo, are you okay?"  
  
Shampoo blinked and things came into focus. All she could see was a rather concern Mousse holding her head. She quickly pushed herself into a sitting position and placed her hand on her head. She felt something warm and when she brought her hand back, she realized it was blood.  
  
She heard something giggling and turning, she saw a little Flayer holding a knife. Shampoo's eyes went dark and with a battle cry, she launched herself at the little beast.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
Shinnosuke held the sword limply. He was a sailor, a damn good one at that. But he was no fighter. The sword was almost useless in his hands and the only reason he was still standing was because Genma was in full werewolf mode and making mincemeat of the monsters.  
  
"Let's go!" Genma said, suddenly morphing back and grabbing his arm, pulling him away from the scene.  
  
They pushed there was through the foliage until they found Shampoo and Mousse. Shinnosuke felt the hand on him change into a wolf paw. Feeling rather useless, he moved over to Mousse and quickly pulled the boy out of the way.  
  
"Thanks, Ryoga," Mousse said.  
  
Shinnosuke went to protest but had no voice. So he resorted to hit him on the head. Mousse balked on impact and looked up at him protest. A few seconds later, he realized it was Shinnosuke.  
  
"Sorry," Mousse said. "So you're out of the fight too?" Shinnosuke nodded. "How's it going?" Shinnosuke gave a 'thumbs up'.  
  
Mousse nodded and then a little light bulb went off in his head. "Wait a minute! I think I've got an idea."  
  
Shampoo, meanwhile, was trying to see how many Flayers she could fit onto her spear at one time. She was doing great until a shaman showed up and spat some fire at her. Holding up her spear, she tried to protect herself. It worked pretty well. Except that her spear was now a Flayer shish kebob.  
  
The Shaman prepared another burst of fire when he suddenly exploded as a Bone Spear tore through him. Shampoo found herself completely covered with shaman Flayer parts, holding a bunch of roasted Flayers on her spear.  
  
Looking over, she saw Mousse prepping another Bone Spear spell as Shinnosuke turned him to face the right way. The spell leapt off his arm and towards the second shaman. Shinnosuke patted him on the back.  
  
"All the Shaman are gone?" Mousse asked. Shinnosuke nodded. Mousse smiled and prepped a Corpse Explosion spell. Shampoo tried to say something but before she could the spell was cast and all the little bodies on her spear exploded.  
  
Ukyo and Ryoga rejoined the group at that moment and were a bit surprised to see Shampoo covered from head to toe in Flayer bits. Ryoga grimaced a bit but Ukyo's response was to giggle.  
  
Shampoo looked at her and stared for a few moments. Then she started to smile and trotted over to Ukyo.  
  
"Good friend Ukyo! Shampoo so happy to see you all right," she said glomping herself on the other girl. Ukyo cried out in protest and tried to get Shampoo off her. Now it was Ryoga's turn to laugh.  
  
"What the hell do you think is so funny?" Ukyo demanded, as she finally managed to get Shampoo off her. Looking down, she realized she was completely covered in Flayer goo. Shampoo looked over at her with a smile and tossed her slime covered hair back.  
  
Ryoga was still laughing. Ukyo frowned and looked over at Shampoo. She motioned her head towards Ryoga and Shampoo nodded.  
  
"RYOGA!" they cried and glomped him.  
  
"Some guys get all the luck," Mousse said trying to watch Ryoga struggle against the two girls. Shinnosuke, seeing everything crystal clear, could only nod.  
  
* * *  
  
Genma stumbled into the small hut first, followed quickly by Shinnosuke and Mousse. Ryoga, Shampoo and Ukyo followed last, looking around nervously for any more monsters.  
  
"I think we're clear," Ukyo said.  
  
"Good," Genma said. "We need time to regroup."  
  
"But it's just a bunch of Flayers!" Ukyo said. "We can take them on easily and then charge the big guys."  
  
Genma shook his head. "It's too easy. They're holding back."  
  
"Then we draw out," Shampoo said.  
  
"And then what?" Mousse asked. "We're two people short. If Genma is right…"  
  
"Feh," Ryoga said. "We don't Ranma to fight these things. Let them throw whatever they want at us. We can handle it."  
  
"This isn't the time to get proud," Mousse said. "We need a plan on…"  
  
"Shampoo sick of plans," she said. "Always plan, always careful. Why no just go out and fight?"  
  
"She's right," Ukyo said. "Look at where the last plan got us. Let's just go out as a group and charge them."  
  
"Charge them," Ryoga said with a smile. "That a great idea."  
  
"Yeah," Genma said. "Great idea. Why don't we just go out and attack them en masse and hope that there's nothing stronger than a Flayer out there. And if there is, well we should be able to take it on. Or we'll just get hacked to bits and let them take over the rest of this area."  
  
Genma took in a deep breath. "I know it's been hard these past couple of days with the trip over here and Nabiki's sacrifice. And I know those Flayers are the most annoying creatures on this entire planet. But this is not the time to let your emotions take control over you. We will plan this out because I know that there's something much stronger out there. Ukyo and Shampoo go and scout ahead. The rest of us are going to stay behind and wait for you to get back."  
  
* * *  
  
"Stupid Genma," Ukyo said as she and Shampoo slowly wove their way back towards the center of town. "Thinks he knows everything. And what about Ran-chan? Doesn't he care about his son?"  
  
"Genma care," Shampoo said. "But try no let show. Need to keep group in control."  
  
"So you think he's right too?" Ukyo said, somewhat dejected by the thought.  
  
"Think he right," Shampoo said. "But no agree out loud."  
  
Ukyo smiled. "Yeah, I'd hate to have to tell him he's right. I just hope Ran-chan is alright."  
  
"Ranma be fine. Have Akane to protect him."  
  
Ukyo giggled. "The girls are really kicking some ass lately."  
  
Shampoo smiled. "Is way it should be."  
  
Ukyo nodded. She paused for a minute and cleared her throat. "Hey Shampoo… look, I know we didn't get along real well in the beginning but… well, it's be fun this whole trip. I'm glad we could fight together."  
  
"Is more than fight together. Shampoo think Ukyo friend."  
  
"Yeah, me too," Ukyo said. "So I'll see you later, okay?"  
  
Shampoo nodded and watched Ukyo took off. She had to smile. It had been a really long time since Shampoo had considered anyone a friend. And considering the way things in her life had been going recently, she was really going to need one.  
  
* * *  
  
Meanwhile, back in the hut, Ryoga was pacing back and forth. "I can't take this waiting," he said.  
  
"Just a little while longer," Genma said.  
  
Mousse said and tried to relax. Shinnosuke sat near him, looking at the blade. Looking over at Mousse, he motioned to the sword.  
  
"That? That's just Ranma's. Nothing special about it." But Shinnosuke had seen him fight with it. There had to be something magical about it. "He's just a good fighter."  
  
Shinnosuke nodded. Slowly using the sword, he drew Akane's name into to dust and pointed at it.  
  
Mousse squinted to get a good look at it. "Akane?" he said. Shinnosuke nodded and pointed to the sword. "Oh Akane and Ranma." Mouse paused and tried to think it out. "It's kind of complicated."  
  
"They're engaged," Genma said firmly.  
  
"Not that he deserves her," Ryoga said. "He's a real jerk most of the time to her. All they do is fight."  
  
Mousse shrugged. "They fight but… it's not really fighting."  
  
Ryoga snorted. "Sure it's not. That's why she keep belting him up to the stratosphere on a daily basis."  
  
Shinnosuke nodded slowly and let the sword rest on the ground. He stood up and walked towards the door.  
  
"Where are you going?" Genma asked, watching him leave. Shinnosuke held up his hands and tried to think of a motion for…  
  
"Oh," Genma said, getting the idea. "Just stay close to the hut."  
  
Shinnosuke nodded and left the hut. Mousse was right. He had seen Akane and Ranma fighting but it never felt real. He knew that Akane had had her mind on something during their entire boat trip together, and he was beginning to see what it was.  
  
He remembered how distraught she had been when Ranma had found them. How hurt she had been when she told him that it appeared he had forgotten her. And the way he was always there to rescue her. How he kept risking his own life for hers.  
  
Shinnosuke realized he had probably lost before he could even begin. Looking at hut, he began to walk away. He had one last thing to do for Akane before he could give up on her. But that meant finding her first.  
  
* * *  
  
"How long does it take to go to the bathroom?" Genma asked, looking at the door.  
  
"You want me to go look for him?" Ryoga asked.  
  
Genma sighed and shook his head. "You'd get lost the moment you stepped out the door."  
  
"I'll go," Mousse said.  
  
"You wouldn't be able to see him," Genma said. "I'll go ahead." He stood up and left the two boys behind.  
  
Mousse concentrated on a few simple mantras while Ryoga continued to pace. After a few rounds, Ryoga added some mumbling under his breath and finally, tossing his axe from hand to hand. Mousse tried to remain calm but after awhile he couldn't take it anymore.  
  
"What's wrong!" he demanded.  
  
Ryoga stopped and looked at him. "I'm just… anxious, all right."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well, haven't you noticed that everyone had pretty much gone out on their own? Considering what Genma's been saying might be out there, I don't think it's a good idea to be by yourself."  
  
Mousse sighed. "They'll be fine. The girls have been taking care of themselves for years and Genma will find Shinnosuke quickly."  
  
"What about Ranma and Akane? Where are they?"  
  
Mousse shrugged. "I really don't know but if they're together, they're probably safe."  
  
Ryoga frowned. "I just don't like getting left…"  
  
Ryoga never finished his sentence. A scream filled the air. Looking over at Mousse, Ryoga shook his head and grabbed the necromancer. "That's it," he said. "We are not staying around here any more."  
  
* * *  
  
Shinnosuke took silent steps as he treaded along the side of the village's main road. He might not have been a great fighter but he knew how to walk softly. After all, the last thing you wanted to do a ship was wake someone up when it wasn't their watch.  
  
He carefully climbed a set of stairs to an open stone courtyard. The place looked like an entranceway but he could see a door. Looking along the back wall, he didn't see any trace of a special keyhole or anything.  
  
His foot hit a loose stone and suddenly the floor opened up, uncurling itself until there was a new staircase leading down into the darkness. Cautiously, Shinnosuke peered downward, wondering if maybe this lead to where Akane was.  
  
Before he got the chance to go down, he heard a low rumble behind him. Turning he saw two men standing in front of him. He held out a hand to show them that he meant not harm but they merely growled at him.  
  
Looking at them closer, he realized that despite their outwardly human appearance, these were not humans anymore. They're eyes shone black and their skin was a deathly pale. They weren't forming any coherent statements and they looked at him like he was dinner.  
  
Shinnosuke tried to back up but he was already against the wall. The two monsters advanced, sneering at him.  
  
"Look out!"  
  
Shinnosuke ducked as the two monsters came flying at him and hit the wall. Ukyo ran forward and grabbed his arm.  
  
"Come on, honey, we need to haul ass fast," she said, dragging him out of the temple and back to the main road.  
  
The Council members quickly recovered and began their pursuit. Ukyo looked over her shoulder. "This ain't going to work," she said. "We can't outrun them."  
  
She stopped and turned to face them. One of them moved with lightning speed towards her while the other lumbered along, weighed down by what was apparently stone skin. Ukyo knew she was no match for them by herself and Shinnosuke wasn't up to a fight.  
  
She suddenly pushed him into the brush just as the first Council member flew past her. Looking back, she realized they had her surrounded. This was it, she realized. This was that moment they taught her about in school. This was when she had to find the strength to cast the Assassin's most powerful spell.  
  
Ukyo closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to stretch her mind beyond the planet, into another part of the universe where her shadow dwelled. Calling out, she asked for its help, just as she had when Akane was lost in the Shadow realm.  
  
Next to her, the air began to waver and suddenly her shadow appeared. Opening her eyes, Ukyo found herself staring in a mirror. The shadow looked back at her with a small smile and nodded.  
  
Ukyo turned and headed towards Stoneskin, while her shadow went after Quickfoot.  
  
* * *  
  
Shampoo was on the other side of town when she heard the battle break out. Knowing that it was Ukyo, she quickly turned and ran towards the sounds. It took her only moments before she arrived at the scene.  
  
Ukyo was fighting against something that moved too quickly for her to hit. The girl looked beaten but she wasn't stopping. Occasionally, Shampoo could hear Ukyo make contact but it was a losing battle. She needed help. Shampoo ran towards her, spear raised in her hand. She threw it, watching as it arched in the air and towards its target.  
  
But it was too late. The monster struck downward and with a sickening crunch, cracked Ukyo's skull open. The assassin dropped to the ground, her eyes staring emptily towards Shampoo.  
  
The spear hit the monster in the arm and it howled in rage. But its screaming was nothing compared to the sound Shampoo was making. Rage and sorrow mixed in the Amazon's cry as she ran towards the beast at full speed.  
  
She ducked as its claw tried to catch her and she grabbed her spear from out of its side. She turned and quickly struck it again, aiming for just behind its neck and pulling the spear out quickly. The Council member turned towards her and Shampoo didn't even bother to give it a chance to attack again, she slammed her spear right into its eye, killing it instantly.  
  
She let the spear fall with the body and ran over to where Ukyo lay. Kneeling down, she careful placed a hand on Ukyo's cheek, feeling the coldness of death already there. Shampoo started to cry, her shoulder shaking as the sobs started to come out.  
  
Something approached her and looking up, she saw another monster, this one with skin that looked like stone. Wiping her tears away, Shampoo stood up and grabbed her spear from the corpse. It was time for payback.  
  
* * *  
  
Genma stumbled through the forest, no longer caring if he made any noise. The anguished cry he had just heard could only mean that there was trouble ahead. And speed overrode his desire for stealth.  
  
In his race to get there, he tripped over something that was sprawled on the ground. Looking back he recognized Ukyo. Crawling over, he took the girl's head carefully in his hands.  
  
Ukyo groaned and opened her eyes. "Ow," she said softly.  
  
"Are you all right?" he asked.  
  
Ukyo nodded slowly, feeling a bit dizzy. "Yeah… the damn thing threw me clear across the forest. I think I hit my head on a tree."  
  
Genma felt the back of her head and nodded. "I think it's just a bruise. You should be okay. Here," he said handing her a potion, "take it."  
  
Ukyo sighed, not really wanting to take anything from Genma but knowing she needed it. She drank the potion just as Mousse and Ryoga crashed onto the scene.  
  
"What happened?" Ryoga said, looking at her.  
  
"Monsters," she said, "really mean ones too. I had to call my shadow just to get some leverage on them. Crap, where's Shinnosuke?"  
  
"You saw him?" Genma asked.  
  
"Yeah, he was with me but I pushed him out of the fight. Oh man, he must still be back there," she said standing up. "We have to go help him. I don't know how long my shadow can hold out against him."  
  
"I think we heard it scream," Mousse said.  
  
"Not possible," Ukyo said. "It can't talk."  
  
"Well, it must have been you then," Ryoga said.  
  
"I don't think so… I mean, it was pretty much a direct hit on me and I was out before I knew what hit me."  
  
"It was a girl's scream," Ryoga said.  
  
Mousse suddenly paled. "Shampoo…"  
  
* * *  
  
Shampoo hit the monster again. Her spear was having no effect against its natural armor. She tried one more lunge and watched, horrified, as her spear snapped in two. She looked down at the broken part in her hand with fear.  
  
The monster growled and swung at her, making contact and sending her to the ground. Shampoo grimaced as she felt her head swim again from the impact. She quickly recovered, tumbling forward twice and standing up, still grasping the broken spear.  
  
The monster came at her again, but Shampoo avoided him this time, sliding under his arm and towards the place where the other half of her spear was. Grabbing it, she turned quickly, crouching and holding her two hands out to her sides.  
  
The Council member moved towards her but Shampoo waited. It threw a punch at her but she ducked to avoid it. When she stood up, she was face to face with the beast. Quickly, she snapped her arms forward, propelling the two spear pieces through the monster's ears and piercing its brain.  
  
It stumbled backwards, howling in pain. Thrashing about, it finally expired, dropping to the ground in a heap. Shampoo didn't relish the victory, she felt like she was about to cry again.  
  
"SHAMPOO!"  
  
She turned and looked at where the voice was calling her. She saw Genma, Ryoga, Shinnosuke, Mousse and Ukyo running towards her. Ukyo? But Ukyo was…  
  
She smiled widely. Ukyo was alive. Somehow, Ukyo was alive. "UKY…"  
  
The name caught in her throat. Shampoo's face crumpled as she felt a searing pain in her chest. Looking down, she something coming through her body. Looking back, she saw the third council member, hidden until now, surfacing only when its brethren had been killed. It sneered and pulled its clawed hand back, letting her body fall to the ground.  
  
"NO!" Akane screamed as she and Ranma emerged from the underground temple.  
  
Ryoga got there first, leaping in the air with a barbarian cry and embedded his axe in the monster. The Council member staggered, taking Ryoga's axe with it. Ukyo was suddenly there, slashing with knifed hands, shredding it as quickly as she could.  
  
It stumbled backwards and started to run away. But a Firewall appeared and caught it before it could go any further. The monster screamed in anguished and expired, leaving a smoke corpse on the ground.  
  
It was suddenly very silent. The group slowly moved from battle mode to something very different. Something much worse.  
  
"Shampoo?" Ukyo said, breaking the silence first and walking toward the fallen amazon. But Ryoga caught her and held her back. "SHAMPOO!" Ukyo cried, struggling against Ryoga's grip. But Ryoga wouldn't let go. He didn't want her to have to see it up close.  
  
"Give her a potion," Akane cried. "Give her a potion now!" she turned to Ranma, grabbing his tunic in her hands. "A potion will help. Tell me a potion will help," she pleaded.  
  
Ranma's face was pained and Akane collapsed sobbing in his arms. He gingerly wrapped his arms around her, closing his own eyes to prevent the flow of tears. Genma looked at the scene with an anguished expression. Shinnosuke came out of the brush and was suddenly frozen at the sight.  
  
Mousse did not have to see her to know what had happened. No one stopped him as he walked over to the Amazon's body. Slowly he turned her around so she was facing upward. Carefully, he let her head fall into his lap and placed a hand over her still face.  
  
Genma walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," the older man said.  
  
"Not like this," Mousse said, tears already overflowing and running down his cheeks. "It can't end like this." His head dropped forward.  
  
"I'm sorry Mousse," Genma said again. But the Necromancer was silent. In fact, he wasn't moving at all except for his lips.  
  
Genma's eyes opened wide. "No, Mousse. Don't do it. Don't DO IT!"  
  
"What is he trying to do?" Ryoga yelled.  
  
"He's trying to cast Revive," Genma said. He reached forward and tried to grab Mousse to stop him but suddenly he was flying backwards, landing several feet from where Mousse was.  
  
"Pop!" Ranma yelled as they all ran over to where Genma was. The air around Mousse crackled with energy. Tendrils of black smoke began to lift from the ground and circle around him.  
  
Genma stood up. "YOU CAN'T REVIVE A HUMAN!" he yelled. But he could barely yell over the growing windstorm. The group had to shield themselves as the wind began to pelt them with debris from the ground.  
  
Despite the maelstrom around him, nothing on Mousse moved. Shampoo's hair was tussled in the wind, her clothing acting like a stormy sea. Mousse's lips continued to move, feeding the spell until it reached its maximum power.  
  
The wind started to die down. The group of fighters slowly turned to face back towards where Mousse and Shampoo were. Genma was up first, almost running to get there.  
  
"You idiot!" he screamed. "Reviving a human only gives you a zombie! How could you do that to…" He stopped short, frozen by what he saw.  
  
"What is it, Pop?" Ranma asked as everyone converged on him.  
  
Ranma looked down, almost afraid of what he would see. But there was no zombie Shampoo. Her skin was a healthy pink, the wounds from her battle were fading. The hole in her chest was gone, replaced with a patch of pink skin that rose and fell at a steady pace.  
  
"How…" he started.  
  
"It's not possible," Genma said. "A Revive spell… it's not possible."  
  
Mousse placed a hand on Shampoo's cheek. "You're right," he said. Hesitatingly, he leaned down and planted a delicate kiss on her forehead. "It's not possible."  
  
He stood up and walked away from the group. "It's not possible," he said, "unless you know who to ask for a favor."  
  
"A favor?" Genma asked.  
  
Mousse sighed and closed his eyes. "Take care of her for me."  
  
Before anyone could move, the ground underneath him began to crackle and burn. Flames jutted upwards, engulfing him in a wave of fire. There was one anguished scream before the fire suddenly went out and all that was left was a charred piece of ground. 


	21. Act 3, Quest 6 : The Guardian

Author's note:  
  
Well, I found my LOC CD and decided to have a go at it. Imagine my surprise when I found my battlenet account still active!! So it's been two night of running good old AkaneS around most of Act Five. Funny thing is, I have a barbarian mercenary and in true Ryoga fashion, he keeps getting lost!!  
  
Thanks for the reviews, Gohan, I am still laughing at yours. ^_^ Anyway, cat is fine, creativity is high because we're going to hell next so what can I say! I hope you're enjoying this as much as I am!!  
  
  
  
Act 3, Quest 6  
  
The Guardian  
  
"Shampoo!"  
  
Looking up, she watched the blue haired woman looked down at her. Her green eyes sparkled as she smiled. She reached down and Shampoo suddenly felt herself being lifted it.  
  
"Shampoo, how did you get into that box?"  
  
Shampoo looked down and watched the wooden box fade from view as she was pulled back into the embrace of someone very familiar. There was a giggle of amusement as Shampoo pulled lightly on a curl of blue hair.  
  
"She's so strong!"  
  
"Yes grand daughter. And she will get stronger, stronger than any of us."  
  
That voice… it was familiar. The scene shifted and suddenly Shampoo found herself being handed over to Cologne. She let out a sound of protest but it came out as a cry.  
  
"What's the matter great-grand daughter?" Cologne said, smiling. Her face crinkled beneath the many layers of wrinkles. Shampoo let out another cry. She wanted to go back to the other woman.  
  
"Here, let me take her." And then Shampoo was back in the hands of the blue haired woman. "I think you may have frightened her."  
  
Cologne let out a laugh. "Of course, I frighten all children! But this one, she does not cry from fear. She's too courageous for that. Have you thought of a name?"  
  
"Xian Pu. After her grandmother."  
  
Cologne nodded. "Thank you. I know my daughter would have been honored."  
  
* * *  
  
"Shampoo?" Ukyo said, taking the Amazon's hand in her own. "Can you hear me?" She waited, watching Shampoo's chest rise and follow in slow succession. With a sigh, Ukyo put her hand down and stood up.  
  
There was a crackling in the woods and Ukyo took a defensive stance. But it was only Ryoga and Ranma. And from the looks on their faces, they had failed in their quest. Ukyo let out a disappointed sigh.  
  
"Nothing?" she asked. The two boys looked at each other and shook their heads. Ukyo shook her head. "I guess we shouldn't be surprised."  
  
"We'll find him," Ranma said firmly. "It's got to be some cheap trick or something."  
  
"If that were only the case, then perhaps the unpleasantness to follow could be avoided. But I fear that it is already too late."  
  
Turning, the trio watched as Cologne and Soun appeared, followed by Genma, Akane and Shinnosuke who seemed unhurt from their journey back to Kurast. Cologne looked older, if that was possible, as she looked upon the sleeping form of her great granddaughter.  
  
"Then they were telling the truth," she said softly. "What a tragedy."  
  
"Do you know where Mousse is?" Ranma asked.  
  
Cologne nodded slowly. "If the story is true, then I am afraid he made a deal with his demon lord in exchange for Shampoo's life."  
  
"His demon lord?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"Come now," Cologne said, "did you really believe that a man who could raise the dead and create bones out of thin air was on the side of good?"  
  
"Mousse never gave us a reason to doubt him," Ranma said, suddenly very firm in his stance. He had been the first to distrust Mousse because of his class but since then, he had seen him perform many feats against the evil that was hunting them.  
  
"Really?" Cologne said. "He out of all of you knew the most about what was hunting you down. He knew more about the ancient history of this land. Did it never strike you that maybe he was not telling us everything?"  
  
"I don't believe it," Ranma said firmly. "You just never liked him."  
  
"True, and I like him less for what he has done now."  
  
"He saved your great granddaughter," Ukyo cried. "Doesn't that prove he is noble enough?"  
  
"Child, you have no idea of what you speak. Shampoo would have been better off dead, more honored in her tribe for dying in battle. Now she is forever indebted to the man who saved her life. A man, who by all accounts, have made a deal with the devil and is more than likely a demon himself now. Considering the paths you have chosen, how long will it be before you cross paths with him again? You have seen his magic when he can make it work correctly. How do you intend to go against that?"  
  
"That's just crazy," Ryoga said. "We've spent the last few months fighting together. He would never…"  
  
Cologne shook her head. "You still don't understand." She lifted her head to the sky. "But I am afraid you soon will. You have collected the items you need and thus I will give you my last word of advice. Place them in the Horadric cube and allow them to reassemble. Use this is a key to open the gate and there you will face the demon you seek."  
  
"Your last advice?" Akane asked.  
  
"Yes. I must travel home to tell my tribe of what has happened here. The danger continues to grow and we must prepare for battle."  
  
"What about…" Ukyo said softly, looking down at the sleeping Amazon.  
  
"She is dead to her tribe," Cologne said. "That is my last gift to her. To be no longer bound by Amazon law and not have to face being ostracized by her peers for being rescued by a man."  
  
"That's so cruel," Akane said.  
  
"Is it dear?" Cologne said with a smile. "The tribe will remember her as a great hero and Shampoo will be free."  
  
"But everyone will think she is dead," Ukyo said.  
  
"Sometimes," Cologne said. "It is better to be thought of as dead, then to be thought of as a betrayer to your ideals."  
  
* * *  
  
Shampoo heard a giggle coming from her mother's room. She quietly slipped out of her bed and padded barefoot on the floor. Walking up to the bedroom door, she saw the flame of a candle flickering inside. She carefully pushed the door open and squinted as the light hit her eyes.  
  
As soon as her vision cleared, she saw her mother lying in the embrace of a man, a man who was not her father. They were laughing and her mother was smiling, something she rarely did when Shampoo's father was around. Her mother was so oblivious to the world as she stared into this stranger's eyes. But in her gaze, Shampoo saw familiarity, happiness and a look she had only given her daughter. It must have been love.  
  
The front door swung open and Shampoo looked down the hallway, recognizing her father's figure there. He threw down a dead animal, having arrived home from his weekly hunt.  
  
"Go! You have to go now!"  
  
Shampoo turned and watched as her mother quickly shoved the other man from out of the bed. The two scrambled to get their things together as Shampoo's father's feet pounded down the hallway.  
  
Shampoo faded into a corner, hiding in the shadows as she watched the scene unfold. It was a race to see how if they could be gone before her father reached the door. However, from what she could see, it was a race they were going to lose. Somewhere in her mind she knew she had to do something but fear paralyzed her.  
  
Her father reached the door just as her mother was pushing her lover out the window. With an angry cry, her father leapt forward, grabbing the other man's leg and dragging him back instead.  
  
"Don't touch him!" Shampoo's mother screamed. But her father gave her a firm push to the wall and she fell to the ground.  
  
"You think to fight me? The one who bested you in combat!" he cried. "And what is this?" He said pointing to the other man. "This is what you wanted? A weakling who has been deemed by this entire tribe as worthless!"  
  
"He's worth more than you ever will be!" she screamed. Carefully she moved her hand across the wall and towards the pile of spears kept in the corner.  
  
"Two worthless pieces of trash," her father cried. "You are made for each other. But you belong to me and I'll make sure you remember that."  
  
With a quickly movement, he brought out his hunting knife, still covered in blood from the hunt and swung across, slicing the man's neck. With a strangled cry, Shampoo's mother moved, grabbing a spear and ramming it into her husband's side. Second later, both men lay dead.  
  
Her blue hair plaster to her head, her eyes red with tears, Shampoo watched her mother stand and walk over to the body of her lover. "You may have not been able to win me in a fight," she said softly, "but you won me every other way."  
  
She reached up and grabbed the hunting knife from the ground. With one last sob, she placed the knife on her heart and rammed it through.  
  
* * *  
  
"Now what?" Ranma asked.  
  
Genma paused and looked at the box. "I have no idea," he said after several moments of silence.  
  
"Allow me, old friend," Soun said leaning forward. With a few deft motions, he locked the box up and spun it once. Several rays of light burst from the sides of the box and illuminated the area for a moment before fading.  
  
Soun opened the box and a Flail appeared. "Kikyo's flail," he said.  
  
"Excellent, Tendo," Genma said.  
  
"I do know a few things, Saotome."  
  
"So what now?" Akane asked.  
  
Genma picked up the flail. "We figure out how to use this and move on."  
  
"Well, most of you move on," Soun said. "Kuno has already said that he will remain in Kurast until he can be sure that the evil will not reach his shores."  
  
"Uh huh," Genma said. "And you, dear friend. Will you remain with Nabiki as well?"  
  
Soun paused and shook his head. "She's in good hands. And I fell like something is calling me onward."  
  
"I'll come with you too," Tofu said, as he joined the group from the jungle. "Too many leaders in Kurast right now."  
  
"You'll be a great addition," Akane said with a smile. But it started to fade. "Where's Shinnosuke?"  
  
Tofu sighed. "He's going to stay in Kurast and watch over his grandfather and the rest of the crew. Kuno has already offered them his own vessel as a replacement for the one they lost. So I wouldn't doubt if they left here shortly. He asked me to give you this."  
  
Tofu held out a folded letter and handed it to Akane. She took it in her hands. "Thank you," she said softly. She looked at it for a moment and then stood up. "Excuse me."  
  
Ranma watched her go and then turned back to the group, hiding the disappointment in his eyes. Turning back he tried to concentrate on the flail but it wasn't working. "I'll get the others and we'll start looking for someplace to use this thing."  
  
* * *  
  
Shampoo packed her bag and tested the weight against her shoulder. It was heavy but she would manage. Besides, considering how far she had to travel, she was sure she would develop the muscles to carry it soon.  
  
"Are you leaving so soon?"  
  
Shampoo turned and saw Cologne at the door. "I thought it was better to leave here quickly."  
  
"An Amazon should not show fear," Cologne said.  
  
"It's not fear," Shampoo snapped.  
  
"He almost beat you this time," Cologne said. "And considering the line of suitors waiting to challenge you, you know that it is only a matter of time before one of them wins. But running away…"  
  
"I'm not running away!" Shampoo cried. "I'm fifteen and like many young Amazons, I want to make a name for myself in the world before I settle down. Is that so hard to understand?"  
  
"They usually do that fighting in wars. But there are no wars now."  
  
"I'll just do a few quests."  
  
"Your common speech is lacking."  
  
"I'll learn!"  
  
"Are you that determined?" Cologne asked.  
  
Shampoo picked up the bag. Cologne was right, she was running away. Partly because she didn't want to have to get married. But partly because she couldn't take the whispers anymore. The High Council had buried her parents' death by saying they were attacked by the other man and died protecting her. But everyone knew the story was fake considering who the attacker was supposed to be.  
  
"Yes," Shampoo said, grabbing her spear.  
  
"Then I'll come with you."  
  
Shampoo stopped. "Why?"  
  
"To make sure you stay out of trouble."  
  
* * *  
  
"What the hell is that?" Ryoga said.  
  
Ukyo turned to where he was pointing. In the back of one of the stone temples, there was a flicker blue light. She walked over carefully and examined the area, making sure that there were no monsters. As soon as she was sure, she motioned Ryoga to follow her.  
  
"What is it?" he asked as they approached the glowing orb.  
  
"I don't know… but it feels wrong."  
  
Ryoga nodded. "I'm getting the same feeling." He hefted his axe up and was about to bring it down.  
  
"Ryoga, no!" Ukyo cried.  
  
But she was too late. Ryoga swung his axe downward, hitting the orb right on the center. There was an explosion of sparks that made Ukyo flinch. When her eyes cleared, she saw Ryoga lying on the ground.  
  
"Oww…" was all he managed.  
  
Ukyo looked back at the orb. "I'm going to go get the others."  
  
* * *  
  
The pub was packed with people. Shampoo and Cologne barely found a table in the back. Waving the waiter over, Cologne ordered three dinners and some drinks. Shampoo put her gear down on the floor next to her. In the year since she had started traveling, she had developed the muscles to carry her pack with ease. And quite a few scars to remind her that strength did not always win a fight.  
  
"So he said he would meet us here?" Shampoo asked.  
  
Cologne nodded. "That's what the note said."  
  
"I told you an ad at the town hall would work," Shampoo said with a smile. "We just need a job or two to get some money and then we can continue questing."  
  
Cologne raised an eyebrow. She wanted to say something, like shouldn't we be going home, but decided against it. Besides, a shadowy figure was attempting to get to them and Cologne figured it was the man who needed them.  
  
"Are you Cologne?" he asked, reaching their table.  
  
"Yes, and this is my great granddaughter Shampoo."  
  
The man nodded and sat down. The food arrived then and they all began to eat. "So what do you want us to do," Cologne said between mouthfuls.  
  
"I need help getting home. The roads are becoming more treacherous and…"  
  
"You need protection," Shampoo said. "Shampoo can provide." Cologne cringed. A year in the outside world had improved her daughter's language skills minimally.  
  
"Yes, protection." He reached forward to take the mug of ale and Cologne saw something on his wrist. Her eyes opened wide and she snapped her hand forward, grabbing the young man's hand.  
  
"Necromancer!" she said, recognizing the bracelet around him.  
  
"What?" Shampoo asked.  
  
"Don't take the job," Cologne said reverting back to the Amazon language. "We don't want any of his kind."  
  
"Why not?" Shampoo asked. "Besides, we need the money."  
  
"Not this badly."  
  
"Really? How do you plan to pay for this meal?" Cologne was about to say something more but Shampoo jumped ahead of her.  
  
"We take job," she said, holding out her hand. "Take man back home. 10,000 gold?"  
  
The man balked but nodded. He slowly removed his hood, revealing the black hood of hair and pale skin. He took her hand and shook it. "Deal."  
  
Leaning forward, he examined her and started to smile. "Wow, you are a babe!"  
  
"WHAT YOU SAY?"  
  
* * *  
  
"Shampoo?"  
  
Shampoo's eyes flickered open and she saw Ukyo's face come into focus. "Ukyo?"  
  
"Shampoo! You're awake!"  
  
"Shampoo no dead?"  
  
There was dead silence. "No," Ukyo said. "No, you're not." There was shuffling as the rest of the group converged around the Amazon. She slowly stood up and looked around.  
  
"Hey! You look as good as new," Ranma said.  
  
"Ranma!" Akane said, jamming an elbow into his ribs. "Are you feeling all right, Shampoo?"  
  
"Tired," Shampoo said. "There was monster…"  
  
"It's dead," Ranma said. "They're all dead."  
  
Shampoo nodded and slowly stood up. She looked around the group. "Where everyone?"  
  
There was a pained silence before Akane spoke up. "Shinnosuke went back to Kurast. Kuno's going to stay there but Tofu is going to join us. So is my dad."  
  
Shampoo nodded but something still felt wrong. "Where Mousse?" Silence. "He stay in Kurast too?"  
  
No one could find the words. Ukyo stepped forward and took Shampoo's arm in her hand. "Shampoo…"  
  
"No," Shampoo shook her head suddenly realizing what was going on. "No say that. No say that. Mousse is Kurast, right? He stay there because always in way…"  
  
But no one said anything. No one had the heart to.  
  
* * *  
  
Ryoga sat gripping his axe tightly. Stupid orb. His head was still swimming from the last hit. Maybe just one more…  
  
Ryoga stopped himself. No way was he going to go through the embarrassment of having his axe bounced off that thing. Whatever it was, though, Ryoga had a burning desire to see it smashed into little bits.  
  
There were footsteps and Ryoga jumped upwards, instantly regretting it. He held his axe as best he could but the world was swimming. As soon as his vision cleared, he realized that it wasn't monsters approaching him, but the rest of the party. Waving, he couldn't help but notice Shampoo had rejoined them.  
  
Ukyo walked up to him and nodded slowly. "We told her everything except what Cologne said."  
  
"What happened?" Ryoga asked.  
  
Ukyo shrugged. "She just kind of got silent." Ryoga frowned. "Any luck with the orb?"  
  
Ryoga looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "You actually think I'd touch that thing again."  
  
"Well, seeing as you did hit it the first time after I said not to…"  
  
Akane watched as the two bickered with a sad smile. She led Shampoo to the edge of the stone staircase. She turned and looked to where her father, Tofu, and Genma were examining the Flail.  
  
"I think we should look for a key hole," Ranma said walking up to her. "There was one for the Horadric staff. Maybe there's one for the Flail."  
  
Akane looked over at Shampoo who sat silently and looked out at the horizon, seeing nothing. After a moment's pause, she nodded and followed Ranma up the stairs.  
  
Shampoo wasn't looking at anything, Akane was right about that. Or at least she wasn't looking at anything tangible. She was watching scenes play through her mind.  
  
Mousse walking into a wall. Mousse walking into a pond. Mousse talking to a statue for several hours thinking it was her. Mousse casting a Bone Spear and nearly missing her. Stupid Mousse. Always running into things. Causing her to get cursed. Trying to get her attentions with stupid flowers and rings and amulets and gems. Always spouting stupid romantic sentences. Always professing his undying love.  
  
"Ah… Shampoo?" Tofu asked, watching the Amazon's expression change from disbelief to rage. Her hands clenched to her side with such ferocity that she drawing blood from her palms. Her anger so deep that she was shaking.  
  
Genma and Soun looked up just in time to see her stand up and stride towards them. They backed up instinctively and thought she was going to attack them. Reaching down, she took the flail and gripped it in her hands, ignoring the pain as its metal handle dug into the new wounds.  
  
"Shampoo, wait," Tofu said, trying to stop her. But she just shoved him back to the ground.  
  
She strode up the stairs, alarming the rest of the party who was still searching for the keyhole. Shampoo strode with a purpose, she knew exactly what had to be done. That orb was evil, all of this area was evil. And it was time to put a stop to it.  
  
Reaching the orb, she lifted the flail and let out an Amazonian war cry. Ryoga grimaced as it came down, thinking of what the shock would be to her. But when the cloud of sparks cleared, the orb was destroyed.  
  
"What the…" Ryoga started. But he never had the chance to finish. The floor beneath him buckled and he found himself tumbling down a flight of stairs.  
  
"Ryoga! Are you okay??"  
  
"Oww…"  
  
* * *  
  
"I think we just found something worse than a Amazon with a hang over," Ryoga whispered to Ranma. Ranma merely nodded as he watched Shampoo stride down the hallway.  
  
A monster suddenly leaped from the darkness found itself slashed in two before its feet even touched the ground. Three more creatures tried to attack but each fell to the ground with a cracked skull before they could even realize what was going on.  
  
"I kind of feel useless," Tofu said with a hushed tone.  
  
"Yeah, have you noticed how things are actually avoiding us," Ukyo said.  
  
"I wouldn't blame them," Ranma said watching Shampoo take out a few more demons.  
  
"Hell, I want to run away," Ryoga said under his breath.  
  
There was an earsplitting crackle as a wooden door collapsed under Shampoo's assault. She began her descent down the stairs but was caught by Ranma.  
  
"Now wait a minute," he said firmly.  
  
"Let go," she said, trying to pull free.  
  
"No way. I think we can all feel the evil feeling that is just crawling all over the stairs leading down."  
  
"NO matter. Shampoo kill what down there."  
  
"Whatever is down there is going to kill you unless you think this through."  
  
"Shampoo no care!" she said. "Shampoo know great grand mother leave. Shampoo know what that mean. Shampoo dead already."  
  
"No you're not," Ranma said firmly. "You've just been given another shot at things. And okay, so maybe it's not under the ideal circumstances, and maybe it involves a lot of things you don't like or would rather disappear." He shot a look over to Akane. "But sometimes, things work out and it's even better than you hoped. My friend gave up his so you can have another chance. So I'm not going to let you throw it all."  
  
Shampoo's anger crumpled a bit. And she smiled. "Great grand mother right. Ranma is better leader."  
  
Ranma nodded firmly. He looked over at Ukyo. "Can you go scout?"  
  
"Sure thing, sugar," Ukyo said, creeping down the stairs.  
  
As soon as she was gone, Shampoo looked back at Ranma. "Ranma make choice no? Shampoo see it." She looked over at Akane. "Shampoo no longer Amazon, no longer bound to Amazon law, to any Amazon law," she said looking back at Ranma. Ranma nodded, understanding what she meant.  
  
Ukyo reappeared, looking rather worried. "There are a bunch of real high level nasties down there. But that's not what I'm worried about."  
  
"What else is down there?" Ranma asked watching her expression warily.  
  
"It's a guy. He looked normal enough, kind of cute. Only he's sitting on this throne and nothing is touching him. It's kind of eerie."  
  
"Shampoo take him," she said firmly. "If Ranma and others take rest of monsters, Shampoo can find out what he is."  
  
Ranma paused and looked at the purple haired warrior. "Okay," he said after a moment's hesitation. "We'll do it that way. Only you better be careful."  
  
"Shampoo be careful," she said with a smile. "Shampoo be very careful."  
  
* * *  
  
Pantyhouse Taro watched as his minions clambered around him. They were tiring to control and he would have given anything to follow his brother into the portal. But his brother had told him to wait.  
  
"Taro," Herb said appearing by his side. "My master wants you to know that he has penetrated the angels' stronghold and has begun his march on hell."  
  
"Excellent," Taro said. "I can't wait to join him. It's a shame that he believes these humans to be such a problem."  
  
"They have caused us problems in the past," Herb said with poison in his voice, remembering the Amazon that had speared him. "But we have finally made them pay an ultimate price by taking one of their own."  
  
Taro sighed. "Whatever. I care not for the mortal world. I just want to get this over with…"  
  
His minions scattered and Taro smiled. "Tell my brother, I will join him shortly." Herb nodded and disappeared. Taro stood up and watched as the assault began. The mortals were making headway but it was nothing that his minions couldn't handle.  
  
"You."  
  
Taro blinked and looked down, coming face to face with a young purple haired girl. "Yes?" he answered, finding himself using an archaic language. Amazonian if he was correct. "What do you want?"  
  
"I want to make you pay," Shampoo said evenly.  
  
"Pay? For what?? Wait… this has something to do with…"  
  
"You took something from me, from us that was very valuable."  
  
Taro smiled. "The one we took from you? Well I am sorry, but he's not here. He's my brother's play thing right now."  
  
Shampoo shifted the weight of the flail in her hand. "He's not a plaything, you despicable creature."  
  
Taro flinched. "Girl, you have no idea who you are dealing with. Save you insults for a creature that you can actually fight."  
  
"I'll fight you," Shampoo said. "I'll fight you and your brother and everyone it takes to rid the world of this evil."  
  
Taro frowned, his anger growing. "This is your last chance," he said evenly. "I am not someone you want to make angry."  
  
Shampoo glared at him and smiled slightly. She leapt forward, striking out with the flail and landing a clean blow against Taro's cheek. He stumbled backwards, a bit shocked and reached an arm up to his cheek. Seeing the blood, Taro's eyes went black.  
  
"I will make you pay for that," he said, his voice deepening with every syllable. His body shifted and began to grow a set of demon wings coming out of his back. His face morphed from a young man into that of a bull. Turning to Shampoo, he let out a cry of rage that shook the very walls of the underground temple.  
  
Shampoo clinched the flail tighter but didn't move. He took a step forward, his footstep causing the floor underneath her to wobble as he did. Shampoo took the chance and used the momentum to leap upward and strike at his head.  
  
But Taro countered and sent her sprawling across the ground. "Foolish mortal. Did you really think you could best one of the three brothers."  
  
Shampoo stood up and held the flail again, taking an offensive stance. He turned to face her just as she leapt again, aiming for the midsection. Taro was unprepared for the blow and had to step back as the shot winded him. Shampoo wasted no time and quickly hit him on the back, landing a second blow and drawing blood.  
  
Taro screamed in rage, bloodlust over taking whatever human traits he had. He swung an arm forward but Shampoo dodged and let the flail crash onto his wrist, destroying the bones there.  
  
Twirling the spike orb on its chain, she spun around and let the flail catch him in the eye. Taro fell backwards, now blinded and in extreme pain. Shampoo never let up. She just kept striking the beast, each blow rendering him less and less capable of returning the attack.  
  
Finally, she smashed the flail into his knee and his leg collapsed. Broken, bleeding and on the floor, the demon Taro looked up at her and smiled. "My brother will make you pay. He will keep the one you lost imprisoned for eternity and he will torture you for longer. He will let you and your friends roast in the fires of Hell itself for this!"  
  
"Maybe," Shampoo said. "But you will burn first."  
  
With a mighty swing, she brought the flail down, connecting with his skull and making a sickening crunch as it connected with his skull. The flail shattered on impact but took Taro's life as well.  
  
Shampoo sank to the ground and looked at the dead demon, realizing that the kill had done nothing to alleviate her suffering. Ranma and the rest of the group arrived moments later, beaten from their fight but still standing.  
  
"It's over," Ranma said.  
  
"No," Shampoo replied. "Is not over. Demon say he one of three brothers. We only kill one, two more left."  
  
"But where…"  
  
As if to answer him, there was a bubbling sound to their right. As they ran over to see what it was, they watched with a mix of horror and awe as a bridge of bones emerged from the river of blood. A red portal suddenly appeared, much as it had when they were in Lut Gholeim.  
  
"Shampoo think we go there," she said pointing to the portal. No one could disagree and they each carefully walked across the bridge of bones into the unknown. 


	22. Act 4, Quest 1 : The Fallen Angel

Author's note : No interlude this time, mainly 'cause the act itself is so short that there's not much to work with as is. I'm a bit behind in e-mail so I promise I'll get back to you soon, Another Duck!  
  
  
  
Act 4, Quest 1  
  
The Fallen Angel  
  
The portal's red glow encompassed Akane as she stepped through it. For a moment, she felt disoriented as the portal whisked her away to places unknown. She stumbled through the other side, watching her feet step across the stone floor. She knelt to the ground and looked up.  
  
It appeared they were inside a cathedral. Massive spires rose to an empty ceiling and all Akane could see was an endless red sky. Light filtered through windows, though the source was unknown. A feeling of peace encompassed the area, one she had no felt since she and Ranma had been lost beneath Kurast.  
  
There was a sound, something like the fluttering of wings. Looking up, Akane finally saw what the source of light was. A beautiful angel stood near the portal watching as the adventurers emerged. A small smile danced across her white face, two sapphire-like eyes stared at Akane.  
  
Soun came through almost last, looking around the area and taking his bearings carefully. He saw Akane and followed her gaze. When he focused on the object of her stares, he let out a gasp. The angel turned towards him.  
  
"Hello, husband," she said softly.  
  
"Is it… is it you?" Soun asked softly.  
  
The angel smiled and nodded. Soun stepped forward and reached a tentative hand forward but it passed through the white gown. The angel smiled slowly. "I am sorry, husband. But the ethereal can not be touched by the living."  
  
"Mom?" Akane said, suddenly realizing what was going on.  
  
The angel turned to her and it looked like tiny drops of diamonds came from her eyes. "Akane, my dear little Akane. You made it here," she said. "I am so happy I could see you again." She turned to Ranma. "Thank you for bring her here."  
  
And words were lost on Ranma's lips as he stared at the vision of perfection in front of him. If he concentrated, he could see the family resemblance. He finally just settled on a nod.  
  
"You are all here," the angel said, sweeping her eyes on the group before finally landing on Shampoo. "No, there is one missing." She paused and looked back over at the group. "One from each class began and yet there is one missing." She looked at Akane.  
  
"Is there a way to get him back?" Akane asked hesitantly.  
  
The angel looked at her quizzically. "Get him back? But why would you want to revive the dead? The dead are at peace, or torment if their deeds in life deemed that necessary. Either way, their fate has been cast."  
  
"It's just that," Ukyo said looking over at Shampoo. "He kind of sacrificed himself to save another who was dead."  
  
The angel looked at Ukyo and then Shampoo. "This is a matter that I will have to take up with a higher power. Please do not stray from the confines of the cathedral as the power of heaven cannot protect you beyond these walls."  
  
There was a burst of light and she was gone.  
  
* * *  
  
"Well, considering we've spent the last few adventures in full fledged towns," Ryoga said, "this kind of sucks."  
  
Ukyo shrugged. "We might as well see what they have here." She and Ryoga walked down to the stairs where there were two sellers though they were anything but normal. One looked like a giant cat, the other looked like a playing card.  
  
"Boy, better hope Ranma doesn't come down here," Ukyo said, looking over at the cat.  
  
"Too late," Ryoga said hooking a thumb back to where Ranma sat with the card guy.  
  
"It's the Ring of Stupidity," the Gambling King was saying.  
  
"What?!" Ranma cried. "But it cost 50,000 gold!! I want to try again!"  
  
Ryoga and Ukyo quickly leapt forward. "NO!" they both cried.  
  
"Ranma, don't you know how useless gambling is?" Ukyo asked.  
  
Ryoga nodded. "All they ever give you is junk."  
  
Ranma bowed his head. "I wish you guys had told me that earlier."  
  
"What do you mean?" Ryoga asked. Ukyo let out a little shriek. Near Ranma was a pile of junk. "HOW MUCH MONEY DID YOU SPEND?!" Ryoga cried.  
  
Ranma looked up innocently at them and twiddling his thumbs while mumbling something under his breath.  
  
"WHAT?" Ryoga and Ukyo yelled.  
  
"All of it," Ranma whispered.  
  
There was a moment of silence. Then a strangled cry as both Ryoga and Ukyo pounced on Ranma.  
  
* * *  
  
"Dad?" Akane asked walking up to him. Her father had a far away look in his eyes. "Daddy?"  
  
Soun blinked and looked up at Akane. "Ah, Akane… I'm sorry I was just… thinking."  
  
Akane took a seat next to him and wrapped her arms around her legs. "So was it really her?" she asked softly.  
  
Soun sighed. "Well, I used to tell you girls your mother was an angel… I didn't expect to be proven right by meeting her."  
  
Akane nodded. "I wish I could have said more. But it was such a shock and with her asking about Mousse and all…"  
  
"She'll be back," Soun said. "She said she would be. And then you can talk to her a bit."  
  
"I don't even know what I would say," Akane replied. "I mean, I never expected her to suddenly be back. Are you going to say something?"  
  
Soun looked back to the red sky. "I'm not sure I will say anything at all."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Soun sighed. "It's been a long time since she left us. And it took almost that long to learn to live without her. I came to terms with the fact that I had said all I needed to when she was alive."  
  
Akane fell silent and mulled over her father's words. At times, he was such an emotional mess, crying at the slightest thing. Yet he stood here, faced with the prospect of a reunion with his dead wife without so much as a tear in his eye.  
  
The words her mother had spoken rang in her head. The dead are at peace. Why would you want to raise the dead?  
  
* * *  
  
Shampoo stood on the fringes of the cathedral and examined Hell as it unfolded in front of her. It seemed fitting, she thought to herself, that she would find herself here. Cologne's departure could only mean one thing even if no one in the group had told her.  
  
"Stupid Ranma." Turning around, Shampoo watched Ukyo approach her. "I can't believe he lost all that gold."  
  
Shampoo raised an eyebrow and turned back to the red expanse. Ukyo came up next to her.  
  
"How are you doing?" Ukyo asked quietly.  
  
Shampoo's expression didn't change. "Feeling like found place Shampoo belong."  
  
Ukyo frowned. "Don't say that."  
  
"No tribe, no class," Shampoo said. "Shampoo no have even weapon to fight."  
  
"But you've got us," Ukyo said, gripping the other girl's arm. "And we'll get you a new weapon… Hey maybe Ranma actually got something good but didn't recognize it. Come on, let's go," she said dragging her away from her position.  
  
They reached the pile of junk and a quivering pile of Ranma. Searching through it, they found no spear or javelin that was worth anything. Even the swords were useless. Ukyo had to resist the urge to pummel Ranma even further.  
  
"What this?" Shampoo asked, pulling out a bow. It sparkled in the red light, carved with intricate runes.  
  
"That looks like a lightning enchanted longbow," Genma said as he joined them. Reaching down, he pulled up Ranma and pushed him back towards the entrance to the cathedral. "Let's go, our angel has returned."  
  
* * *  
  
"It is very difficult for us to see into Hell," she was saying as her wings settled onto her back. "But we can sense small disturbances. There is something wrong in Hell, as if there is something there that shouldn't be."  
  
"Is it Mousse?" Akane asked quickly.  
  
The angel shrugged slightly. "We can't see. But it is the only thing to go on."  
  
"I think it's worth a shot," Ranma said. "It'll give us the chance to get accustomed to the area. From what Shampoo said, we have two more demons to track down."  
  
"Yes," the angel said. "We have been watching their movements but have found no way to stop them yet. I will let you know if we do." She disappeared again and Ranma turned to the group.  
  
"You heard her," Ranma said. "Let's go see what this disturbance is. Shampoo, you're with Akane and me. Ryoga, you and Ukyo scout out ahead. And pop… pop?"  
  
Looking over he saw Genma-panda rolling next to Soun who had a disgusted look on his face. "Really Saotome, must you do that?"  
  
The panda held up a sign that read 'Hell is not exactly someplace I want to go'.  
  
Soun sighed. "Well, you've been told to go there enough as it is…"  
  
The panda swatted him on the head.  
  
Ranma just rolled his eyes. "Forget it," he said. "Let's just go."  
  
"Hey," Ukyo said before they could move. "Why do Ryoga and I always have to scout ahead."  
  
"Yeah!" Ryoga said.  
  
"Well, because you two are the most qualified," Ranma said evenly. Ukyo smiled and grabbed Ryoga, pulling him towards the exit. "And," he said as soon as they were out of earshot, "I have to pay you back for that little pummeling you gave me not too long ago."  
  
* * *  
  
"Well, I'm going to go with just plain disturbing," Ukyo said as she leaned forward and examined the trio of writhing bodies.  
  
"Look out!" Ryoga said bringing his axe down on them. "Geez," he said pulling back his axe on it. "Don't you know anything? If something is scary and eerie, you don't go looking at it. You go the other way! And they wonder why there are so many damsels in distress in the world."  
  
Ukyo glared at him. "Hey Ryoga," she said. "What happens when you kill the dead?" Ryoga looked at her. "I mean, those guys were already dead but you killed them."  
  
Ryoga's brow furrowed as the Barbarian tried to grapple with the philosophical question that Ukyo had laid out for him. Good, Ukyo said to herself. That ought to keep him quiet for a while, damsel in distress my ass.  
  
She looked around the area and couldn't help but feel that Ryoga might be right. The more she stared at the fiery landscape, the more she had the urge to just run away. Most of the black ground was cracking under the heat of the lava that flowed around them. Some structures remained though it was as skeletons of their former selves. It made her wonder what was here before.  
  
"Come on Ryoga," she said pulling the Barbarian out of his deep thought. "There's got to be something around here that could disturb the balance of heaven."  
  
"How about that," he said pointing to a mass of black smoke that snaked in the air as it was alive.  
  
"Ah…" Ukyo said. "I actually have no idea. That might be normal for this place."  
  
"Well, I think it's worth a shot," Ryoga said. "Let's go find the others."  
  
* * *  
  
"So you know how to use that?" Akane asked.  
  
Shampoo shrugged. "Was toy taught to children. Should no be hard," she finished holding the bow up.  
  
"And lightning enchanted," Akane said with a smile. "That's going to kick ass! Nabiki could always cast a…" Akane trailed off realizing where Nabiki was.  
  
Shampoo sighed and nodded to the other girl. "Shampoo understand. But we get Nabiki free."  
  
Akane nodded. "Thanks Shampoo. And we'll find Mousse."  
  
"Shampoo no care," she said half-heartedly, "if find duck-boy."  
  
"Oi!" Ryoga called as he and Ukyo ran up to them. "We found something."  
  
"Where?" Shampoo said standing up quickly.  
  
"Across the valley," Ukyo said pointing to the horizon. "You can't really see it here."  
  
"Where's Ranma?" Ryoga asked looking around.  
  
"Here," Ranma said rejoining the group. "I was just… checking something out."  
  
Ryoga glared at him. "What?"  
  
Ranma looked back at him. "Nothing…"  
  
"RANMA!" Ukyo screamed. "Did you go back to camp to gamble more?"  
  
Ranma's eyes looked at Ukyo innocently but she didn't buy it for a moment. There was a slight ringing in the air as Ryoga drew his axe. "Apparently, you didn't learn your lesson the first time. "  
  
* * *  
  
"What did you just say?" Akane asked looking over at Ranma. He glared at her and tried to form the words from his bruised mouth. "Oh just forget it. Ryoga and Ukyo take left attack. The rest of us will round around the right."  
  
Ranma nodded that that was what he was aiming for and picked up his sword, looking pathetic. Shampoo shook her head. "Serve Ranma right for gambling all money away."  
  
"Yeah, Ranma," Akane said. "Where did you get more money to gamble with?" He mumbled something. With a sigh, Akane handed over a potion so he could heal.  
  
Ukyo just shook her head and followed the retreating form of Ryoga. "Hey, you think taking this thing on is a good idea?"  
  
Ryoga looked over his shoulder at Ukyo and then over to the source of live black tendrils. There was something trapped in them but the smoke was about to let it go. In fact, it seemed to enjoy attacking anything that came within fighting distance of it.  
  
"No," Ryoga said. "But at least we have the element of surprise."  
  
"YOU SOLD WHAT!!!"  
  
"Or we did," Ryoga said as Akane's voice echoed throughout the valley.  
  
The creature reared up, catching sight of the two groups of fighters advancing on it. There was a horrible scream as black tendrils shot towards them. Ryoga leapt up and saw Ukyo flip out of the way from the corner of his eye.  
  
He raised his axe and brought it down hard on the black snake that was trying to reach him. Only the axe passed right through. What the hell…  
  
"RYOGA!" Ukyo called out, seeing another tendril come towards him. Ryoga didn't have time to react. He watched it approach, waiting for it to make contact. It hit him and passed right through him.  
  
Ryoga started to laugh. "It can't hurt us," he said. Turning around he yelled the same thing over to the other group.  
  
"Well," Ukyo said, rejoining him, watching the black smoke pass through him a couple of times, "that's kind of silly."  
  
"I guess it can only attack things that are from this plane," he said walking towards the source of the smoke.  
  
The other trio joined them and Ranma could only shrug. They examined the creature and watched as it tried to swat them with its arms.  
  
"Does anyone else have a feeling that this was too easy?" Akane asked.  
  
"Shhh," Ukyo said. "Never say that. Every time you say something like that…"  
  
"Ah guys," Ryoga said. "I think we have company."  
  
Ukyo turned and saw where Ryoga was looking. Two herds of demons were approaching them. Ukyo glared at Akane. The creature above them lashed out but its attacks passed through the horde.  
  
"Wonderful," Ryoga said pulling out his axe. "How about Ukyo, Ranma and me concentrate on the monster."  
  
"What we supposed to do?" Shampoo asked.  
  
"Find out how to free whatever is in that smoke case," Ryoga said, point upwards at it.  
  
Shampoo and Akane exchanged a glance and looked back up at the smoke creature that was still writhing in anger. Wordlessly Shampoo cocked an arrow and let it fly upward. Akane watched horrified as it almost hit the figure within.  
  
"Shampoo! Are you crazy?!?" she cried.  
  
"Was just an idea," Shampoo said softly.  
  
"Well, next time you have an idea, let's discuss…"  
  
Akane was cut short as she felt an arrow whistling by her ear and clipping some hair before it landed on the ground. Shampoo grimaced. Oh yeah… she forgot that shooting an arrow into the air meant it would usually come down nearby. Silly her, she thought with a smile.  
  
Akane didn't look nearly as amused.  
  
* * *  
  
The lead demon held a hand up, forcing the group behind him to come to a stop. It smelt something strange in the air but it couldn't place its finger on it. It took a step forward just as its tiny brain kicked up an answer.  
  
Trap.  
  
Of course by then, its brain was about twenty meters away from its feet. The rest of the horde fell into panic and tried to escape only to find more traps along the side. After a few moments, the survivors suddenly found themselves in the middle of an angry martial artist.  
  
Ukyo sliced them down in a few seconds. There was nothing left but tiny little shreds of demons. Looking over at her shadow, Ukyo gave her a "thumbs up". The Shadow gave her an identical gesture, which caused the two to descend into giggles.  
  
Across the plain, Ranma and Ryoga resorted to a standard hack and slash approach. And with two such high-level melee characters it wasn't too hard. In fact it was a bit fun. Ranma was trying out a few of his lesser- used attacks, and enchanting his sword with different elemental characteristics and shifting his aura so it became a rainbow of colors.  
  
The monster for the most part had fallen when Ranma shot a boastful glance over to Ryoga. Of course, all the fighting had gone to head and he had forgotten what happens when you boast to a barbarian. They tend to take it personally and Ryoga was no exception.  
  
"You want to play," Ryoga said. "Then watch this."  
  
He extended his arms outward and in his best Tasmanian Devil imitation, he began to spin. Anything that came near him got sliced and diced.  
  
Ranma would have been impressed if Ryoga did (a) look like such an idiot spinning around like a ballerina and (b) Ryoga's classic sense of direction were not leading him right towards him.  
  
"RYOGA!" Ranma called out.  
  
Ranma ducked just as the spinning Ryoga reached him. He felt his ponytail catch in the spinning blade. He turned just in time to see Ukyo rejoining and watched in horror as the blades caught her and tore her to shreds. He was about to panic when he heard her yelling.  
  
"God damn it, Ryoga, do you know how freaking hard it is to raise a Shadow?" Ukyo asked following with a shift kick to his shins.  
  
Ryoga stopped spinning and took to wandering around like he was drunk. "See Ranma," he said, his eyes spinning. "Told you…" He collapsed on the ground from dizziness.  
  
"Baka," Ukyo said looking at him. She would have added further insults if the sky hadn't suddenly exploded into light.  
  
* * *  
  
"Ummmm…" Akane said looking at the Shadow Creature above her. "Maybe…" she cast Inferno and aimed it upwards. Nothing happened.  
  
"Shampoo be able to help if sorceress no send her way over here," Shampoo said from her position several meters away.  
  
"You and your bow just stay right there," Akane said. "I'll figure this out… somehow," she added under her breath.  
  
Shampoo sighed and rolled her eyes. One bad shot and Akane had sent her as far away as possible, like she had shot that arrow on purpose. Shampoo looked at the smoke creature and decided she wasn't going to be much help in this. There was probably some secret technique to destroy it that was locked away in a century old scroll.  
  
Mousse probably would know what to do.  
  
Stupid Mousse, Shampoo thought to herself. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid, noble, stupid Mousse.  
  
She looked up at the shadow creature once more, wondering if it was him trapped in there. Then something caught her eye. Reaching for her bow, she cocked an arrow.  
  
"Akane," she called. The sorceress turned and saw her holding a loaded bow in her direction. "Duck."  
  
Akane hit the ground just as Shampoo let her arrow fly. It sailed towards the target, a glimmer that Shampoo had seen in the smoke. As it impacted, there was a huge burst of light and Shampoo found herself half blinded.  
  
As soon as her vision cleared, she saw someone standing over an unconscious Akane. Long black hair danced in the aftermath of the explosion. Shampoo's heart skipped a beat. She watched the figure raise its hand and Shampoo thought it was a wave.  
  
Something glistened in the red light and Shampoo realized the figure was holding a knife and it was aiming for Akane.  
  
"AKANE!" Shampoo called, drawing an arrow and firing it at an alarming speed. It hit the center of the figure's hand. As the person turned to face Shampoo, she realized what a mistake they had made. Kodachi only smiled.  
  
"Stay out of this," Kodachi said pointing to Shampoo. "This is between me and the bitch that trapped me in this hell."  
  
Shampoo's only response was to cock another arrow. Ranma, Ryoga and Ukyo chose that moment to return, causing Kodachi to crouch down with the dagger at Akane's neck. "Not a step closer," she hissed. "And you with the bow, the dagger is laced with poison so don't try anything. The slightest touch will be enough to kill her."  
  
"What do you want?" Ranma demanded.  
  
Kodachi looked up and smiled. "It's you, my King to be," she said with a smile. "Actually, I have what I want. My freedom… and my revenge."  
  
"Wait!" Ranma called out as the knife moved downward. "There has to be something else."  
  
Kodachi looked at him and closed her eyes. Her mouth moved but she spoke to no one present. Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled. "Not me, but my lord requires something. A stone you retrieved when you killed his brother. Deliver it and I'll let the girl go."  
  
Somehow, Ranma doubted the sincerity of her words. Kodachi had a murderous look on her face. Akane would be dead before they made it back to the enemy's camp.  
  
"Take me instead," he said, throwing his sword to the ground.  
  
Kodachi's eyes glittered. "You want to come with me?"  
  
"I want you to leave Akane here." He turned to Ryoga. "You guys go back and get the stone."  
  
Ryoga glared at him. He knew what Ranma was really saying. Find out why they want the stone and then don't give it to them under any circumstances. "Right," Ryoga finally said.  
  
Kodachi jumped up with a laugh of glee. She grabbed Ranma's arm and cast a portal spell. A second later they were gone.  
  
Akane groaned as she started to wake up. She held her head as she started to stand up.  
  
"What happened?" she asked, looking around. "Where's Ranma?"  
  
Ryoga and Shampoo looked at Ukyo. "Oh no," Ukyo said. "Why the hell do I have to keep delivering the bad news."  
  
"What bad news?" Akane asked softly.  
  
Ukyo sighed and wrapped her arm around Akane. "Akane, I don't know how to say this. Kodachi was the one trapped in the smoke creature and she was ready to take you away. But Ranma took your place as Kodachi's captive."  
  
Akane's head sank. Her shoulders started to tremble. Ukyo realized Akane was crying. "It's okay Akane," she said soothingly. "We'll get him ba…"  
  
"RANMA NO BAKA!" Akane suddenly yelled. Ukyo realized it wasn't sadness but rage that was building up inside of her friend.  
  
"Hey!" Ukyo called watching her stalk off. "Where are you going?"  
  
"To get him back," Akane called out.  
  
"Shampoo go with her," Shampoo said already chasing after Akane. "Barbarian and Assassin go get stone."  
  
Watching them go, Ryoga sighed. "Why are they always shoving us together?" he asked.  
  
"Because we were meant to be together," Ukyo said looking at him with big eyes.  
  
That statement puzzled him more than the whole how do you kill the dead question. He just kind of stared at her with a look of confusion on his face. Until she started laughing.  
  
"As if I would ever fall for a dimwitted barbarian," she said with a laugh, skipping off in the direction of the camp.  
  
Ryoga blinked and let the words sink in. With a growl, he turned towards Ukyo. "I think we need to talk," he said, hand resting on his axe. With a little squeal, Ukyo took off, deciding it would be better to run back to camp. 


	23. Act 4, Quest 2 : The Hellforge

Author's note: I can't write Ryoga anymore. Every time I write the name, I feel I have to follow it with "NO!" Like "Ryoga, no! Don't eat the wires" or "Ryoga, no! Don't bite me!"  
  
Sigh… that' what happens when you name your new kitten after an anime character, ne? I find myself yelling at him in Japanese… not that I have any idea what I'm saying. I think I need to stop listening to the "Chinatown Letter" song.  
  
* * *  
  
  
  
Ranma looked wearily down at the food. Monsters he could handle. Demons too. Even Asuza in the Forgotten Tower would have been better than this.  
  
"Ranma-sama, aren't you hungry?"  
  
Ranma looked up at the concerned looking Kodachi. Yeah, concerned that he wasn't going to eat the drug laced food.  
  
"You are going to eat it," she said, a bit of malice creeping into her voice. "I spent so long cooking it. I set the table, I lit the candles, and now you won't even eat it?"  
  
Come on, Saotome, think! Think of something to get out of this. Okay… imagine it was Akane's cooking. How would you get out of that? Actually, right about now, I'd rather be facing Akane's cooking then Kodachi's. Wow, things must really be getting bad…  
  
"Ranma-sama!" Kodachi cried. "You have one second to start eating that or…"  
  
The door behind Ranma opened and Kodachi looked up. Her face darkened as she looked at her visitor. "What do you want?"  
  
"I don't want anything. It's the boss who wants you to stop playing with your new toy and do some work."  
  
Ranma froze. The voice… it was familiar. Turning around, he found his breath caught in his throat. It couldn't be, there was just no way.  
  
"Tsu-san," Kodachi said standing up and throwing her napkin to the table. "Your timing is horrible." She walked out the tent flap, pushing him aside. Ranma started to stand up but the moment he cleared the chair, there was a rush of wind and he found himself trapped inside of a bone cage.  
  
"Stay there. We don't need stray running around."  
  
As the man left, Ranma couldn't help but shake his head. No, it couldn't have been Mousse. After all, the spell had been cast perfectly and Mousse was half-blind. But Ranma had to find out.  
  
He pushed against the sides of the bone cage and tried to break through but it held firm. Trying another approach, he began to toss himself from side to side, causing it to tip and fall onto the table. A shower of wine and food flew into the air as it did and moments later, Ranma found himself as a girl. A second after that, she passed out from whatever was in the food.  
  
* * *  
  
"Stupid Ranma," Akane muttered as she and Shampoo crouched at the edge of the camp. From the place behind the rocks, they could see the tents of an army sprawled across the plain of hell. A few larger tents dotted the area, with the largest concentration of those in the middle.  
  
"No worry Akane," Shampoo said, pointing to the larger tents. "Ranma be in there."  
  
"I'm not worried," Akane said testily. "If the dumb baka hadn't done this to save my life, I would just leave him with that witch."  
  
Shampoo rolled her eyes and decided to drop it. Suddenly, she saw exactly what they were looking for. Pulling on Akane's sleeve, the two watched as Kodachi strode out of one tent and headed towards the largest.  
  
"That must be where Ranma is," Akane said starting to get up.  
  
"Wait!" Shampoo said, pulling her back down. "Too close to center of camp. Too many demons around."  
  
"So how are we going to get in?"  
  
Shampoo looked around and frowned. "Shampoo have idea but Akane no like it."  
  
* * *  
  
Ryoga and Ukyo finally reached the Angel Sancutary. It had taken longer than expected because either Ukyo was running away from Ryoga or Ryoga had been running in the wrong direction.  
  
"Where's Akane?" Soun said immediately.  
  
Ukyo sighed and quickly related the story, which immediately brought Soun to tears. Ukyo threw her hands up and walked away. "That's IT!" she cried. "I am not the messenger anymore."  
  
"So do you know anything about the soul stone?" Ryoga asked, trying to push the conversation along.  
  
Genma looked at them and shrugged. "Never heard of it. Where would we have seen it?"  
  
"I don't know," Ryoga said. "Maybe after our fight with Taro."  
  
"Did you see anything," Ukyo asked rejoining the group," after we defeated him. Maybe he dropped it…"  
  
Suddenly the air was filled with a high pitched yet. Ryoga drew his axe quickly, Ukyo crouched down for an attack and even Genma seemed on edge. They saw the attack coming from the sky, a little dot that grew as it sped towards the ground. It crashed into the ground, not hitting any of them. As soon as the dust cleared, it stood up.  
  
"Happosai!" Ukyo said, recognizing the little man.  
  
Happosai looked up at Ukyo and his eyes went wide as he leapt straight at her before she react. Lucky for her though, Ryoga's hand flew out and he caught the little ball of perversion before he hit his target.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Ryoga demanded.  
  
As if to answer them, a soft light filled the cathedral and their angel appeared. "Do you know this monster?"  
  
"Not by choice," Ukyo said grimly.  
  
"He hid in my wings," she said, "and came up to Heaven with me. As soon as we got there he began to run after all the angels, trying to… to…"  
  
"Oh, come on," Happosai said. "I thought you said it was Heaven! With all those beautiful babes running…" He paused and looked at the angel, with a lecherous glint in his eyes.  
  
She caught it and suddenly, the light around her shifted. She grew several feet in height, suddenly holding a shield and a sword. "Do not trifle with the residents of heaven," she said, her voice booming and causing the cathedral to shake. Ryoga and Ukyo suddenly found themselves on the floor. "We are not as helpless as you would believe."  
  
And then as suddenly as it had begun, it was over and she was back to normal. "Now, did I hear you mention a soul stone?"  
  
Ryoga and Ukyo slowly stood up and look at the now peaceful angel. "We kind of need it," Ukyo said.  
  
"Ah…" She paused and turned to Happosai. "Are you going to show it to them?"  
  
Happosai's eyes got big and started to water. "But… but I was going to give it to someone so they would marry me."  
  
"You are not getting into Heaven again," the angel said firmly. "And that is not an opal you have."  
  
"You have it?" Ukyo said.  
  
Happosai looked over at Ukyo with a grin. "You want it?"  
  
Ukyo smiled sweetly and knelt forward, making sure to give him a good cleavage shot. "Of course, I do!"  
  
Happosai whipped out the makeshift ring, which was in actuality a piece of metal wrapped around the soul stone. Ukyo snatched it with one hand and delivered an elbow blow to the top of his head with the other.  
  
"Great, let's move Ryoga," she said, quickly heading towards the stairs. Ryoga looked back at the flattened Happosai and grimaced slightly before running after Ukyo.  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma-chan's eyes flickered open and she groaned. She tried to stretch and suddenly found her cage collapsing around her. Standing up quickly, she dusted herself off and headed towards the door just as Kodachi returned.  
  
Kodachi took one look at the redheaded girl and frowned, reaching for her weapon. "Who are you? And where is my Ranma-sama?" Ranma-chan paled. How the hell was she going to explain this before Kodachi cleaved her in two?  
  
"Filthy girl," Kodachi said. "You're not even worth my trouble. And if you won't tell me where Ranma-sama has gone, I'll have my minions do it for me." Kodachi leaned out of her tent and grabbed the two nearest monsters.  
  
"You two," she said. "Take this girl away and make her tell me where Ranma- sama is." She turned back to Ranma-chan. "You had better tell them quickly or they will…"  
  
While Kodachi began to describe the various means of torture they would use, the two monsters were standing behind her trying to signal to Ranma- chan. Meanwhile, the redhead could only stare at them with confusion. It wasn't until she saw one of them start to get real frustrated and clench its fist that she realized it was Akane.  
  
"Take her away!" Kodachi suddenly said and the trio snapped to attention. Ranma-chan let herself be dragged away, past the tents, past the fringes of the camps and finally out of the valley.  
  
As soon as they were clear, Akane and Shampoo pealed off the monster skins they were wearing. Akane looked a bit green as she turned to Shampoo. "You're right, I really didn't like that idea."  
  
"Shampoo try to warn," she said as she began to push the layer of monster slime off her arms.  
  
"Oh man," Ranma-chan said. "I thought I had it bad."  
  
"What?" Shampoo said. "Is old Amazon trick. Dress wolf like sheep."  
  
"I still think we should have washed them out before we put them on," Akane said, shivering as the skin dropped.  
  
"No time," Shampoo said, "since Sorceress kept getting sick and Shampoo had to skin both."  
  
Ranma-chan laughed. "Yeah Akane would get all weak stomached by something like that."  
  
"What?!" Akane cried. "Ranma no baka! I did this for you!" She blushed slightly. "I mean I did it for me. What made you think you could do something as stupid as…"  
  
"Ah, guys," Shampoo said softly as she held her already strung bow. "Shampoo think we have problem."  
  
Turning away, Akane looked up at the hill and saw a couple of skeletons looking down at them. She moved quickly evaporate two in fire while Shampoo phased a few out of existence with a lightning arrow.  
  
"Great," Ranma-chan said. "We better get moving. I think the entire camp just saw that show." She got up and headed up the hill, rather than get yelled at by the two girls. She was halfway up when she stopped short.  
  
Turning around she tried to warn them but it was too late. Akane and Shampoo had frozen in place.  
  
* * *  
  
"Stupid Ryoga," Ukyo muttered as she looked down the edge of the cliff. She felt her knees go a bit weak. She hated heights.  
  
"I could have sworn we came this way…"  
  
Ukyo put her head in her hand. "Why did I follow you?"  
  
"But, it was this way…"  
  
"Really?" Ukyo cried, stamping her foot. "And when exactly did we take stairs down a never ending cliff, eh?"  
  
Ryoga scratched his head and looked over at the stairs. "Are you sure we…"  
  
"YES!" Ukyo said stamping her foot again. "I know we were not…"  
  
The cliff side finally gave out under her yells and stamping. Ukyo barely had time to react before she could throw up a claw and grab the side. A second later, she felt Ryoga trying to pull her up.  
  
"Uph, did you gain weight?" he asked, struggling to pull her up.  
  
"RYOGA!"  
  
Her cry echoed across the chasm and the remainder of the cliff gave way. Ukyo found her self-falling to the ground. Images of her splattered against the floor of Hell suddenly filled her mind.  
  
Ryoga cursed as he found himself falling. Looking around, he quickly grabbed Ukyo by the waist and watched the ground fast approaching. He timed it and took in a deep breath just moment before they hit. He let out a war cry and watched as the ground beneath them exploded in debris.  
  
The resulting shock wave was just what he needed to push them back up and slow their descent so that he could flip to the ground. They still landed hard, but he took most of the brunt of it in his feet.  
  
The dust started to clear and he let out a sigh. "Oi, Ukyo, we're okay now."  
  
But Ukyo had completely frozen. Mixing a fear of heights with falling had pretty much turned her to stone. Ryoga looked at her with a sigh. And then something clicked in his brain. There was a very pretty girl clinging on to him. Very closely. Wearing something that didn't leave much to the imagination.  
  
And there goes the nose.  
  
* * *  
  
Shampoo and Akane didn't move. Ranma-chan debated what to do. She could drag them away quickly and explain it to them later but Shampoo acted before she could.  
  
It was him, Shampoo knew. His features hadn't changed, though his face was paler. His long black hair was tied back. He wasn't wearing his robe, instead it was a gray and black uniform.  
  
"Mou…" she started.  
  
The only response she got was a bone spear aimed right at her. The only reason she got out of its way was before Ranma-chan had reacted and pulled her to the ground.  
  
"Akane! Fire wall!" Ranma-chan called.  
  
"But…" she said, somewhat confused.  
  
"Not at him! Cover our retreat!!"  
  
Akane quickly cast the flame wall and Ranma was right. It caused Mousse to balk a bit so that they could run like hell. Shampoo was mostly being dragged but as soon as she realized what was going on, she wrenched her arm free of Ranma-chan and ran for herself.  
  
"What happen?" she asked him.  
  
"I don't know!" Ranma-chan said. "I saw him in the came and he was real chummy with Kodachi. Said something about a boss too!"  
  
"That's just great," Akane said. "So is it Mousse or is it just a demon in his form."  
  
"I think it's him," Ranma-chan said softly.  
  
"Shampoo know it him," she said. Suddenly she stopped. Turning around, she saw him still at the top of the hill.  
  
"Shampoo!" Ranma-chan cried as soon as she realized the other girl had stopped.  
  
Shampoo didn't listen. She was staring back at the man standing at the top of the hill. The warm breeze in Hell played with her purple hair as she pulled out her bow. She took careful aim.  
  
"Shampoo, NO!" Akane cried.  
  
But it was too late. She let the bow string go. Akane and Ranma-chan watched horrified as the arrow took flight towards Mousse. Even he seemed a bit surprised. He tried to block his chest but the arrow wasn't headed there. A second later, he felt a sharp shock as it embedded itself in his leg.  
  
Shampoo moved quickly, loading the bow and walking straight towards him. Mousse scowled and raised his yew wand to cast a spell. But Shampoo fired again and this time the shock hit his casting hand. He knelt down to the ground and tried to regain his composure.  
  
He lifted his head to cast his next spell and found her standing in front of him. She said something, in a language he almost remembered. Then her bow came down, crashing into his temple and the world went black.  
  
Shampoo looked down at him grimly as Akane and Ranma-chan walked up to her. "No leave him behind this time."  
  
* * *  
  
Ukyo finally came to and found herself in one piece on the ground… or well something soft. Looking down, she saw Ryoga, lying unconscious, blood over most of his face. She got up quickly to examine him. No! He would have taken the brunt of the blow just to save her.  
  
But he wasn't moving… and the blood and… Ukyo sniffled and knelt by his side. Stupid idiot. He didn't have to go and do something like…  
  
Ukyo collapsed into sobs on Ryoga's chest. Just then, he decided to regain conscious.  
  
"What's going on?" he asked.  
  
Ukyo looked up and her face instantly shifted from sadness to happiness. She engulfed him in a hug. Ryoga's brain quickly got unconfused and realized her was in a similar situtation.  
  
And there goes the nose.  
  
At that point, Ukyo finally realized what had happened. Her eyes darkened, she flushed three shade of red and then calmly pulled away from him. With clenched fists, she started to pound him.  
  
"BAKA! You made me worry for nothing!!"  
  
  
  
She finally stopped as soon as she felt a bit winded. She stood up and wiped herself off. For the first time, she took in her surroundings. It looked vaguely familiar. What with the flowing lava and black ground.  
  
But this place had an added bonus. A very nasty looking creature sitting next to a huge anvil and holding a great big hammer. And it looked like he had just noticed them.  
  
"Ryoga…"  
  
A moan came from the ground.  
  
"Ryoga!!"  
  
He moaned again.  
  
"RYOGA! GET UP RIGHT NOW!"  
  
Ryoga's eyes opened and he looked over at Ukyo who was already sitting in a fighting stance. Looking over he saw the creature staring at him. With a groan, he tried to stand up.  
  
"What's the matter with you!" Ukyo cried.  
  
"I don't know! Maybe some half insane woman nearly killed me!"  
  
Ukyo's stance dropped. She turned to him. "I'm sorry if I got upset that were groping me while I was out cold!"  
  
"Groping?" he said. "GROPING?! I was saving your life!!"  
  
The monster looked at them, with a raised eyebrow. "Ah… excuse me," he said.  
  
"Saving my life indeed! And what your reward was to cope a feel!"  
  
"I never touched you!!"  
  
"Hey!" The monster called. "I'm over here. I have a big scary hammer that I'm going to use to…"  
  
"Then how do you explain the bloody nose!"  
  
"Well maybe if you wore something that made an attempt to cover your ass!!"  
  
"Oh screw this," the monster said dropping his hammer. "You people are just mean!" Ryoga and Ukyo stopped fighting long enough to look over at him.  
  
"Here I am," the monster continued, "trying to do my job, which is incidentally smashing mortal's soul stones to pieces so that they can never return to the plane of existence. And I have done so for millennia! Everyone has feared me! And now you won't even pay attention to me! Well, fine! Now you've gone and hurt my feelings. Smash your own soul stones."  
  
And with that, he left the area, sniffling about how he was under appreciated.  
  
"Who the hell was that?" Ukyo asked Ryoga.  
  
"I don't know… but did he say something about smashing soul stones?" 


	24. Act 4, Quest 3 : Terror's End

Author's note:  
  
Phew… this was a big chapter. For those of you who have played the game, you know how freaking tough this part is. And I can't tell you how many times I got killed in a multiplayer game 'cause some idiot stepped on the seal before the rest of us were ready (in all fairness, I did this myself once…)  
  
Okay, so if you read the last chapter and were like… huh? Where was the fight! Well, I kind of ran out of steam. I mean, let's face it, after 23 chapters there are only so many fight scenes you can right. Besides, I knew this one was coming up. I finally sort of answered who Diablo should be… Mint was just working for him. But you'll see who he really was. Of course, Baal is still around…  
  
And thank you to everyone who reviewed!! I broke the 100 mark!!! I can't believe it! And yes, Gohan, they should pay me but that's just a dream ^_^  
  
* * *  
  
Act 4 Quest 3  
  
Terror's End  
  
  
  
Ukyo and Ryoga returned to the camp ready to collapse. Ukyo shot Ryoga a couple of angry looks for getting them lost repeatedly. It was all they could do from not falling asleep right at the steps of the Cathedral entrance. But somehow they managed to push themselves up those last few steps to land near the rest of the group. What they saw, however, instantly woke them up.  
  
"Ranma-honey!" Ukyo said bounding over to him. "You're all right!"  
  
"Yeah," he said, as he tried to catch his breath as she squeezed him. Akane frowned at the sign of affection but let it drop.  
  
"Is something wrong?" Ryoga said, looking at Akane's tired face.  
  
Ranma and Akane were very quiet. Ukyo let go of Ranma and looked at him. "What happened?" she asked softly.  
  
Across the camp, Shampoo knelt, hands softly on her lap, eyes glistening slightly, as Soun and Genma worked near her. The rest of the group joined them, trying not to make too much noise as they did. But the moment, Ukyo saw what they were holding vigil for she couldn't help but cry out in surprise.  
  
"Mousse?" she asked softly.  
  
Against the back of the Cathedral wall, Mousse cast dark eyes over at her. He was chained by the arms and legs and a rag covered his mouth to prevent any spell casting. Ukyo wasn't as surprised by his condition as the pure hatred that shot from his eyes at her.  
  
"That can't be him," she said.  
  
Soun frowned. "It is. At least, the body and the mind. But the heart, that's gone. He's just a minion for the other side now and I don't think we can bring him back."  
  
"We can get it back," Ryoga said firmly. Soun frowned. "We CAN." He said firmly. "Just like we got Shampoo back, just like we got Ranma back. They keep taking from us but we always get it back." Shampoo's hands clenched in her hands.  
  
"Come on!" Ryoga shouted. "Stop moping about! Let's just go kill the remaining brothers and it'll cure him."  
  
"How can Ryoga know that?" Shampoo said, her voice harsh as she spoke.  
  
"I don't," he yelled back. "But of everyone here, I thought you'd understand. In Harrogath, when someone is in trouble, we don't just sit around and cry about it. We figured out how to help them and then we helped them. Didn't the Amazon have the same philosophy?"  
  
"Shampoo no Amazon anymore," she said.  
  
"You're damn right you're not," Ryoga yelled. "If you were, they'd be completely ashamed of what you have become. A pathetic excuse of a girl."  
  
"Ryoga!" Akane cried. But Ranma held her back.  
  
"Ryoga no understand!" Shampoo yelled.  
  
"I understand just fine," Ryoga replied. "You're giving up! You brought him back but it's not all of him. And maybe a couple of people don't think we can bring him back but is that really all you need to give up? I thought you were stronger then that. I thought you wouldn't stop until you asked ever last person in this world if there was a way to cure him. But you gave up already."  
  
"Shampoo no give up!" she cried, standing up to face Ryoga. "But what Shampoo do? Kill monster but how know if that help Mousse?"  
  
Ryoga look at her. "We've seen what Diablo and his minions can do. They destroyed Tristram. They almost wiped out the Rouge. Lut Gholeim is plagued by monsters and Kurast…" He trailed off, looking over at Akane.  
  
"Mousse gave his life up for you," he said. "And even if it doesn't bring him back, you should still fight, if for nothing else then his memory. He didn't become that," he said pointing to Mousse, "for you to mourn over him. Let's prove he was right in his sacrifice and rid the world of this evil."  
  
Shampoo blinked. She lip quivered a bit. "Is not right," she said softly. "No right for barbarian to be smart."  
  
Ryoga smiled. "Ah… thanks I think."  
  
"Ryoga right," Shampoo said looking at the rest of them. "We no know if it help Mousse or not. But Diablo must be killed."  
  
"I'm happy you came to that conclusion," the angel said as she descended. "Because that is what I have come to ask from you." She settled on the cathedral floor and folded her wings behind her. "Ryoga, Ukyo, the soul stone?"  
  
"Destroyed," Ukyo said softly.  
  
"Good," the angel smiled. "Then Taro will never again plague this world. Now his brothers are the only problem left. They are amassing an army here, bringing up three times the number they had before and opening the portal back to the mortal plane. Back to Harrogath."  
  
"Is okay," Shampoo said suddenly, looking at Ryoga. "We stop them before that."  
  
"You will have to move quickly," the angel said. "The army has already left. You must travel to Diablo's Chaos Sanctuary and fight him there. But the way will not be easy."  
  
"We can do it," Ukyo said. "No problem."  
  
"Then get your things together," the angel said. "Your time is short. I wish I could fight along side you but it is not the place of Heaven to intercede in the affairs of mortals. But," she said smiling at Akane, "I will pray for all of you. Good luck," she said softly before she disappeared in an explosion of light.  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma strapped the remaining bits of his armor on and secured his sword. He tried to clear his mind for the fight ahead. He flashed the aura around him, changing the colors several times before he let it fade. He picked up his helmet and was about to put it on when he heard a voice calling him.  
  
"Ranma?"  
  
He looked up and saw Akane standing in front of him. She had her armor on as well, though her helmet was hanging in her hand. Her other hand gripped the staff tightly. Looking like this, she really looked like a warrior, so different from the girl he and his father had picked up in Tristram.  
  
"What's up?" he asked.  
  
"I was just wondering. How did you know what Ryoga was saying would be exactly what Shampoo needed to hear?"  
  
Ranma smiled. "Ryoga's not as dumb as he wants people to believe. Besides, the Barbarians and the Amazons are alike in a lot of ways."  
  
Akane nodded. "I see." She paused. "What Ryoga said about Mousse… about how fighting might not bring him back but it would honor his memory. I understand that, you know. I'm going to fight for Nabiki, even if it won't bring her back."  
  
"That's the spirit," he said with a firm nod.  
  
"And what about you?" she asked. "What are you fighting for?"  
  
Ranma paused, looked at her and just smiled.  
  
* * *  
  
Shampoo pulled at the strap of the arm guard and made sure it was secure. Next to her the remaining pieces of armor and her bow sat on the ground near by Mousse. She could feel him watching her but she did her best to ignore it. With the last bit of armor in place, she grabbed her helmet and bow and walked over to him.  
  
"Shampoo know you no understand," she said softly. "But someday, Mousse will." She leaned forward and put her hands onto of the mouth gag. She closed her eyes and kissed him, feeling the harsh fabric against her lips.  
  
She stood up and quickly walked away, wiping the tears from her eyes and putting the helmet on. The creature on the ground watched her leave with wide eyes, feeling something burning in his chest.  
  
Shampoo rejoined the group at the entrance of the Cathedral. They were all dressed in armor and she couldn't see their faces behind the helmets. But she knew that they all had the same grim look of determination on them.  
  
"All right," Ranma said looking around at the group. "Considering we've crossed through half of this place, not always by our own choice," he continued, shooting a look at Ryoga, "and the fact that the army is on the move, we shouldn't run into too much resistance on the way there. When we get there, we're sticking together. Long range attackers in the back, the rest of us in the front."  
  
The group nodded in affirmation. "All right," Ranma said. "Let's go kick this monster's butt back to Hell… I mean Heaven… I mean…"  
  
The group started to laugh slightly and Ranma smiled. "You know what I mean."  
  
* * *  
  
As Ranma had predicted, resistance to get to the Chaos Sanctuary was minimal and they were still at full health. But the sight of the sanctuary itself dampened their spirits. The red and black building was a corrupted Cathedral, exactly the opposite of what they had just left. The flames of Hell were hotter here and even the shadows on the ground seemed darker.  
  
"Where are they?" Ukyo asked, as they walked up to the door.  
  
Ranma frowned. "They must be waiting inside but…"  
  
The air behind the cathedral suddenly exploded and the sky seemed to tear open. "It's a portal!" Akane said, pointing at the tear.  
  
"Harrogath," Ryoga said. Before anyone could stop him he threw the door of the sanctuary open and stormed inside.  
  
"Wait! Ryoga!" Ukyo cried, running after him.  
  
"Crap," Ranma said watching them disappear. He and the two girls quickly ran inside. Ryoga was several steps ahead of them but surprisingly, there were no monsters.  
  
"I have a bad feeling about this," Ranma said just as Ryoga's foot sank into the ground.  
  
"What the hell?" Ryoga started. Suddenly there was a mob of monsters around him, attacking before he even had the chance to grab his axe.  
  
"Ryoga!" Akane cried, bringing up her wand to cast a Firewall. Beside her, it looked like Ukyo split in two before jumping into the fray. Ranma followed shortly afterward, aura turning red as he did.  
  
From the sidelines, Akane and Shampoo continued their long-range attack. Between casting Firewalls, Akane threw Fireballs at them. Shampoo's arm never stopped moving. Before an arrow hit its target, she had already loaded another in the bow.  
  
In the middle of the melee battle, Ukyo and her shadow were doing serious damage, ripping through the demon flesh with combination attacks. Ki balls would swirl around them for only a few seconds before exploding. Ranma's sword was moving at lightning speed while his aura burned anything that got near him. Ryoga had since managed to remove his axe and was doing some heavy damage with his classic hack and slash attack.  
  
Thirty minutes later, the fight was over. The bodies off the dead lay around their feet, gore covered the melee fighters from head to toe. They were all breathing heavily, fighting to stay on their feet. Ukyo's shadow was gone and one of the blades on her arm was broken. Ryoga's axe had lost its edge and Ranma's helmet had been cracked in two.  
  
Shampoo and Akane walked towards them wading through the mess.  
  
"DON'T MOVE!" Ranma screamed. Shampoo and Akane froze in place. "We don't know if there are any more of those traps."  
  
Ryoga looked down at his foot and found it hadn't moved since he had stepped on the seal. Ranma looked down as well and then slowly nodded. Carefully, Ryoga picked up his foot and prepared for another attack.  
  
The floor glowed red and a symbol appeared on the floor, slowly pulsating.  
  
"What is that?" Shampoo asked.  
  
"Magical seal," Akane said. "I read about it. They keep things sealed until someone breaks it. This one must work when you step on it."  
  
"Like one of my traps," Ukyo said. "The whole place is freaking bobby- trapped!"  
  
"All right," Ranma said. "Let's just think about this. Ryoga, did you see something on the floor before you took a step?"  
  
Ryoga frowned and shook his head. "I don't know. I…"  
  
"Wait!" Akane cried. "Look up ahead." The group turned and looked down the long stone hallway. "There's something there." Without waiting for a response she walked forward.  
  
"Akane!" Ranma called out, taking a step towards her.  
  
"No just stay there," she answered back. "I'm a magic user so I can see magic, okay? There is another seal here and it's surrounded by a magical barrier. Three spikes from the ground… I really don't think these are traps."  
  
"Well what else could they be?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"Like I said, magical seals. But I don't think their purpose is to seal those monsters. I think the monsters are there to prevent someone from opening the next seal."  
  
"Next seal?"  
  
Akane finally reached the seal and knelt down next to it. "Hmmm… it looks like a magic spell but… I don't know, I can't really read it." She wished Mousse was here, he would have been able to decipher the text.  
  
The rest of the group had circled around her. Shampoo put a reassuring hand on the Sorceress's shoulder. "Try best, Akane."  
  
Akane frowned. "It's a seal but it's what it's sealing that I can't understand. The symbol isn't from any creature I know. It must be a proper name. Di… De…"  
  
"Diablo." Ranma said.  
  
Akane blinked. "Of course!! These seals are holding Diablo."  
  
"Holding him?" Ukyo asked. "But I thought he was at the army's camp."  
  
"They're holding him in Hell," Akane said with a smile. "He can't get out. He must have sent his brother ahead to free him but how?"  
  
"It doesn't matter," Ryoga said. "If we kill him here, his brother can't release him. So how do we get to him?"  
  
Akane moved a hand around the edge of the seal. "It looks like this is the second seal," she said pointing to two slashes in the corner before moving to the other end, "of five. There are five seals."  
  
"And each one is going to release a horde like what we just faced," Ukyo asked.  
  
Akane frowned. "No, I think its worse. If you get past one, the next have got to be harder."  
  
"You've got to be kidding!" Ukyo said.  
  
"All right, let's not panic," Ranma said. "Akane can see the seals so we won't set one off again by accident. Let's loot the monsters we killed, relax for a bit and then try the second seal. Maybe we'll luck out and it'll be easier this time.  
  
* *  
  
An hour later, Ukyo was still shaking her head. "It's not going to be easier."  
  
"No shit," Ryoga muttered grabbed an axe out of the pile. He held both in his arms and swung them around. "Hmph, never thought I need to use both hands for attacking. But defending didn't do too much."  
  
"Don't worry sugar," she said, pulling at clawed glove off a monster. "I'll cover your back." She strapped the glove on and smiled. Perfect.  
  
"Ranma and Akane no back yet," Shampoo asked, pulling a bolt out of the mess and strapping it on her back.  
  
"No," Ukyo frowned. "But I'm sure they're on their way back."  
  
"Maybe they got lost," Ryoga said.  
  
"You're not with them," Ukyo said. "Why should they get lost?"  
  
"Maybe they wanted to get lost," Ryoga replied back.  
  
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ukyo cried.  
  
"Ryoga! Ukyo!" Shampoo yelled. "No fight. Have plenty fight ahead of us. No fight between allies. Find equipment, be ready."  
  
Ryoga and Ukyo glowered at each other but finally went back to working. Until Ukyo accidentally threw a chain mail at Ryoga. Which resulted in him tossing a helmet at her. And then a glove and finally a shoe before Shampoo broke it up.  
  
"Knock it off!" Shampoo yelled. "Like children! No res…" She paused looking at where the boot had landed. Around the edge of the shoe, she could make out the remains of a monster foot. She barely had time to yell before the seal was activated.  
  
* * *  
  
Akane knelt down beside the seal and studied it for a while. "There it is… this is the fifth seal. That's the last of them."  
  
"Good, " Ranma said standing up. "Let's go back and tell the…"  
  
"Ranma," Akane said, standing up, brushing her hands on her skirt.  
  
"What?" he said turning around to face her.  
  
She looked at him and smiled. "Nothing… just forget it."  
  
"Are you sure?" he asked.  
  
Sure, I'm sure, Akane said to herself. We're about to face certain death and I really wanted to say sorry about Kurast and about how scared I was when you were gone. But I'm just a complete chicken so all I'll say is…  
  
"Yeah, I'm sure," she said, smiling.  
  
The red light of Hell hit her, warming her cheeks and turning it a nice shade of pink. "You know Akane," he said. "Sometimes you can be pretty cute."  
  
Akane's smiled widened and then dropped. "What do you mean, sometimes??"  
  
The air was broken by the sounds of monsters. Turning around, they realized it was coming back from the way they came.  
  
"They must have released the other seal by…"  
  
"RANMA!" Akane cried, as he passed in front of her. But it was too late. His foot hit the seal and activated it.  
  
* * *  
  
"FALL BACK!" Ryoga cried, as he and the two girls were pushed down the hall. The horde of monsters, as Akane predicted, was much stronger than the first and they were two people short.  
  
Shampoo frowned. They were being herded, it was obvious. If they hadn't wanted to, the monster could have probably finished them in one strong attack. Instead only a few were attacking them, driving down the hallway.  
  
Ukyo's shadow only lasted a few minutes before it was pulverized. She kept calling it back but it was obvious that she was starting to lose too much mana. She pulled a potion from her side and took it quickly, calling the shadow up again and trying to ignore the fact that that had been her last potion.  
  
"What about the seals?" Ryoga asked, looking around frantically.  
  
Shampoo's eyes snapped open. "Stop MOVING!" she cried. That's why they were herding them. Another seal. "Watch where you…"  
  
Her foot sank into the ground. No… she hadn't just…  
  
"It's a seal!!" Ukyo cried, as the atmosphere crackled with energy.  
  
As soon as it was done, the three warriors found themselves surrounded. Breathing heavily, they looked at the odds and realized how bad it was. There was no way they could win. They didn't have the potions, health or mana, to sustain an attack like that.  
  
"Feh," Ryoga said gripping his axes. "I always knew it would be like this. Hey Ukyo…"  
  
"What?" she asked, gripping tightly onto her claws.  
  
"Sorry I got us lost so many times," he said with a smile.  
  
"Sorry I called you all those names," she replied sadly.  
  
"Shampoo sorry you both idiots," she said. "Fight monsters, win, then make apologies. Right, Harrogath?"  
  
Ryoga smiled and knelt down low. Shampoo pulled back her bowstring. Ukyo and her shadow took up a fighting stance. The four fighters stood back to back, all concentrating on the monster, waiting for some sort of sign.  
  
Suddenly part of the monster circle crumpled. The air was filled with the sound of rushing spears and for a moment Shampoo thought her Amazon tribe had come to her rescue. But then she saw more clearly. Embedded in the walls, the monsters expired with huge shard of bone out of their chests. There was a moment of silence as they tried to process what had happened. But in that moment, it was the monsters that got to regroup and the quad was engulfed in a wave of demons.  
  
Standard hack and slash was not enough. The shadow died in seconds. And no one can fire arrows at close range. But when it looked like all was lost, something ripped through the hallways and the monsters thrown to the ceiling. Those that survived the initial impact were shredded in the maelstrom.  
  
When it was over, the weary fighters tried to stand up. Looking down the hall they saw two people coming towards them. It took a few minutes for them to come into focus but it appeared that one of the people was being dragged along.  
  
Genma dropped the dead weight and walked up to Ukyo and outstretched a hand, helping the assassin to her feet. "Quite a mess you got yourselves into," he said turning to help Shampoo out.  
  
"Genma!" Ukyo said with surprise. "What are you doing here?"  
  
Genma frowned and jerked a finger back to the crumpled form behind him. "The bastard broke clear through the chains. I thought he was coming to kill all of you." He paused. "Guess I shouldn't have toasted him so quick, seeing as he was trying to help."  
  
Shampoo walked over and looked at the fallen Necromancer. "Is Mousse back?"  
  
Genma shook his head. "Unless the Mousse you know could do that," he said, motioning to the line of corpses with Bone Spears in their hearts. "No, but something changed. I don't know…" He paused. "Where are my boy and Akane?"  
  
It was the first time they had a chance to think about it. Where were they indeed? Ranma was a seasoned fighter. He would have recognized the sounds of battle and rushed back to help his friends. Unless… They finally heard the sounds of another battle in the distance.  
  
"Shit," Ryoga said standing up. "They set off a seal too."  
  
"Stay down boy," Genma said. "You've been slashed to bits."  
  
Ryoga pushed off the ground, holding his torn side. "No way, old man. Ranma's beaten me in every real fight we've had and there's no way I'm letting him die before I get a chance at a rematch."  
  
"Yeah, "Ukyo said standing up. "He's fought for all of us enough. This time, it's for us to fight for him."  
  
The sky suddenly erupted into flames and a rush of warm wind knocked them all back to the ground. Looking up, Genma frowned. "Well, that can't be good."  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma desperately fought against the horde that was trying to attack them. If Akane was right, this was the fifth seal, the hardest of them all to defeat. And it was just him and Akane.  
  
Looking over, he saw her casting another round of Fireballs before calling up another Firewall. She was really holding her own in this battle, leaving him to concentrate on the creatures in front of him. But he knew she couldn't hold out forever. He had seen her reach for a mana potion at least three times.  
  
His own aura was starting to flicker under the strain but he didn't dare waste a mana potion on himself. The wave of monsters pushed him back and he almost fell over when he felt two feminine hands grab him from behind. Akane pushed him back up and then put her hands on her knees, taking in deep breath.  
  
"Are you okay," he asked, watching the monsters regroup out of the corner his eye.  
  
She nodded. "Just a bit… winded," she said. Looking down at her belt, he saw she didn't have any potions left.  
  
"Here," he said giving her his last. "You're going to need it."  
  
She gripped the potion and his hand as well. "Ranma," she said. "I have to say something. I wanted to thank you," she said quickly watching them rev up for another attack, "for all you've done, for letting me come, for showing me everything and for saving my all those times. And I'm sorry about Shinnosuke and Kurast and the curse and Lut Gholeim and…"  
  
"Akane," he said, shaking her slightly. "Just stop. I really don't need apologies. I screwed up just as much as you did."  
  
"Ranma…"  
  
The monsters attacked they suddenly found themselves overwhelmed. Akane felt her hand being ripped away from Ranma and she called out his name once last time before she began to feel the blows of the monster.  
  
Somewhere in the haze of pain, she realized that this was going to be it. And she never really got the chance to tell Ranma how she felt. She had been close now but something had interceded again. Something always interceded. Another fiancée, a monster horde, a kidnapping, it was always something.  
  
Her anger began to burn again, her short temper ready to explode. But something happened. There was something in her anger that she had never felt before. It was power. She reached forward in her mind and tried to grab but… mana. She didn't have enough.  
  
The potion was still in her hand, she couldn't bring it to her mouth. She needed to get in her system, but how?  
  
Grim determination filled her face. She curled her fist into a ball, forcing the glass to break. Her anger started to rise again and suddenly she realized that she was screaming out loud. Not in pain or anguished, but a full powered kiai.  
  
The world exploded into flames. The monsters in front of her disintegrated in the flames. As soon as they were gone, Akane stood up, a red aura flaming around her. The ground beneath her shook and burst open, freeing the three headed monster from beneath.  
  
The Hydra reared its head and screamed in rage. Looking down, it leered at the monsters and started to spit fireballs. Akane stood in front of it, impassive as it decimated the remaining monsters.  
  
From his spot on the ground, Ranma could barely understand what was happening. But the hydra never touched him, instead it picked off all the creatures around him. The fires never burned him. And Akane… Akane was just standing there.  
  
Genma led the group to where the fire storm was occurring, dragging Mousse body with him. They reached Ranma and cowered underneath the fire.  
  
Genma looked over at his son. "Are you all right?" he said, sounding somewhat concerned, quite possibly for the first time in his life.  
  
"Yeah," Ranma said softly. "But… Akane…"  
  
"Don't worry about her boy," Genma said with a slight smile. "Just enjoy the show. It's not every day you get to see a sorceress who mastered her art."  
  
The hydra wailed in the air. Its prey was gone and it was still looking for something to kill. Akane's head moved slowly towards her friends, eyes having a reddish hue to them. "Step on the next seal," she said.  
  
"Akane," Ranma said walking forward. But her hand came up slowly, palm towards him. She smiled a bit and then brought her hand around to point at the seal.  
  
"That's going to release Diablo," Ukyo said.  
  
Ranma looked at Akane and nodded. "I know. So get ready," he said shifting his sword in his hand. He took a few steps forward and placed his foot where Akane had pointed out the seal earlier.  
  
The floor lit up and a horde of demons appeared. "Concentrate on the horde! Let Akane deal with Diablo!"  
  
Akane's head whipped forward to the center of the room where Diablo was emerging from the floor. He looked almost human, save for a tiny palm tree that came out of his head. He laughed as he crawled from the floor but suddenly stopped. Akane smiled and the Hydra behind her puffed some smoke. She raised her staff and pointed towards to monster and the Hydra attacked.  
  
To her side, the warriors fought against the demons, trying to hold them off. The horde was not as bad as what Ranma had just faced and with the help of his friends, it was a lot easier.  
  
But they were all tired, bleeding and in pain, their potions long since been used. Genma helped as best he could, transforming into his werewolf form and shredding his opponents. On the ground, Mousse's body started to twitch as Diablo was hit. Eventually it was enough to wake him up. His eyes were still cold but something inside him was burning, trying to get out, and forcing him here. And now as Diablo was struck again and again, he felt it growing stronger and more painful.  
  
The three-headed monster struck Diablo in several places. With an angry cry, the demon lord cast a bolt of pink lightning. It ripped through the ground destroying the stone floor and hitting one of the Hydra's head, completely obliterating it. The Hydra screamed in pain and Akane fell to the ground on one knee. Diablo struck again, casting another lightning spell and taking the other head out. Akane's other knee dropped. She could feel the power draining from her. Looking up, she saw Diablo was preparing another strike and she realized that she wouldn't be able to keep this up after that.  
  
Suddenly there was a hand on hers and she looked up to see Ranma, holding part of her staff. Another hand holding a bow soon followed and Shampoo looked down at her with a smile. Two more followed soon after as Ryoga and Ukyo added their strength.  
  
Akane smiled when she realized what they were doing. Her own ki was running out and she didn't have any mana potions to replenish it. So they were lending her what little energy they had left.  
  
Ranma's aura flared. Ryoga let out a battle cry. Two tiny orbs circled Ukyo. And lightning was dancing on Shampoo's hand. Akane smiled and turned back to face Diablo. The remaining Hydra head looked at him and roared as it flew forward. Diablo tried to counter but the Hydra was already there with an open mouth. It grabbed Diablo in his teeth and then slithered into the hole he had risen from, disappearing from view.  
  
In addition to Diablo's cries, Mousse was screaming as well, the fire in his chest exploding in a red hot flare. It lasted only moments before he passed out, his body still twitching slightly.  
  
Around Akane, the other had fallen, finally giving in to exhaustion. She blinked and felt the last bit of flames inside of her extinguish themselves. She looked around in confusion and almost panicked at the sight of everyone collapsed. But Genma was there, a strong hand on her shoulder.  
  
"Good job, Akane," he said. Looking around, he sighed. "Don't worry about them, they're getting some much needed sleep."  
  
"What… what happened?" Akane asked.  
  
Genma nodded. "You reached the master level, Akane. I can't say I'm surprised. I've watched you evolve from a level one fireball caster to what you are now. That Hydra you cast is the highest spell for a sorceress like you. Your father is going to be very proud…" He paused, imagining Soun bawling his eyes out at hearing his daughter was a master sorceress. "I think you said tell him yourself."  
  
Akane smiled slightly. "What now?"  
  
Genma sighed. "I'm going to get your father now and a lot of potions. Just stay here and make sure they get some sleep." Looking through one of the back cathedral window, he looked at the huge portal there. The demon army was gone and Harrogath would have to defend itself for the moment.  
  
Akane nodded. "Leave it me," she said. Genma nodded and took off, heading back towards the Angel's Cathedral. Akane watched him go and sighed. Looking down, she saw the damage done to her hand from the potion bottle. She took the sash from around her waist and wrapped it around the wound. With a deep breath of relief, she sat down next to her friends and watched the steady rise and fall of their chests. They looked so beaten like this. Carefully, she reached forward and brushed a stray hair from Ranma's face. Baka, she thought to herself with a smile.  
  
There was movement to her side and Akane looked up. From nearby, Mousse was trying to push himself off the ground. He looked up at her and Akane gripped her staff as she saw the look in his eye. Standing up, she put herself between him and the rest of the group. If he wanted a fight, he was going to get one… 


	25. Interlude Three - The Frozen North

Author's note:  
  
Well, this is it. The beginning of the end. I can't believe that after this interlude, I'll be the final act of this story… sniffle… Well, this chap is just filler and fluff.  
  
Let's see, a few general notes. Yes, Hydra sucked @$$ in the game. I know that. But see, I was a fire-based sorceress and I built my character up to level 30 just so I could get that damn spell (I'm Greek… Hydras are a bit scarier in mythology then they were in this game).  
  
As for following the story line completely as it was in the game… well, I guess I have to throw in some twist to keep the originality. Like what happens at the end of this chapter… that doesn't happen in the game. And if you're wondering where the hell its going to happen… well, picture a multi-player game. With no cap on the number of players allowed.  
  
Saggit : LOL!!! How adorable, I humbly accept the ORBJ award ^_-. I'm glad you enjoy the twist. He's been in my notes as Diablo but I started to question it somewhere around Act 3. I'm glad it worked!!  
  
Makotojs : Hope this was fast enough!!  
  
Me: Watch out for the edge of the CHAIR!!  
  
Ariel Stormcloud : Thank you very much  
  
Someone : Well, I guess you understand why Hydra was the way it is. I'm just a bitter D2 player ^_^  
  
Jessi-chan : Hope the fight lives up to the expectations.  
  
Flameraven : Ah yes, the Mousse question… (shuffles through her notes) hmmm… I can't seem to recall whether he returns to normal or not.  
  
MegaManX : I had the same problem in school ^_^ I went back and actually started the game again as an assassin (UkyoK).  
  
Norad…what a long name : MSTing is fine. I'll get a kick out of seeing it. My only request is to wait until the story is done. I have a bunch of things planned for the end that I want to get done first.  
  
  
  
* * *  
  
The warm winds of hell danced with the flames in the lava lake. A bubble pushed its was to the surface, bursting and letting out a plume of sulfuric smoke. The red waves lapped against the side of stone wall, slowly eroding the foundation of the Chaos Sanctuary.  
  
The room was silent. The bodies of the heroes lay still, save for the two warriors who faced each other now. Akane clutched her staff, knees bent slightly to prepare for an attack. She was drained physically and emotionally. And most importantly, she didn't have a drop of mana left in her.  
  
From his side, Mousse watched her take a defensive position and smiled. She couldn't cast a spell and she was going to try to fight him with her staff. He brought his hand forward and prepared to cast his first summon spell.  
  
"Akane! Don't stay here, just…"  
  
Mousse shut his mouth. What the hell? That wasn't the spell.  
  
"Mousse?" Akane called. But the Necromancer turned to face her with hatred in his eyes. Akane gripped the staff tighter. "I know you care hear me Mousse! With Diablo dead, their grip on you must be fading!"  
  
Mousse frowned. She was probably right. The burning in his chest, the stupid desire to help them. And now, he had no control over his voice. He was caught between the two worlds of good and evil. But he still had control over the rest of this body.  
  
"Mousse, please fight it," Akane said. "Please…"  
  
He came at her, whipping out two yew wands and using them as weapons. Akane's staff went up quickly and she blocked the dual blows with the top and bottom of her staff. He took one hand back but kept pushing the top with the other. Thrown off balance, Akane couldn't block the yew wand that came at her stomach. It pierced the skin with it sharpen top and Akane fell to the ground.  
  
Before Mousse could react, Akane countered from below, sweeping her staff on the ground and pulling his feet from under him. She stood up quickly, spinning the staff to bring it parallel to his body. She brought it down, aiming for his stomach to knock the wind from out of him but the necromancer rolled away quickly.  
  
He crouched slightly and drove his wand straight at her exposed ribs. Akane quickly turned, connecting her staff with his wrist. She had blocked the move and shattered his wrist in the process. Mousse screamed in rage as the wand fell limply from his hand.  
  
Akane brought the staff around again and down onto his shoulder, dislocating it and breaking the skin. A red spot began to form on the tattered uniform.  
  
"Yield," she said bringing the staff up and holding it above his head. Mousse, still gripping his arm, nodded and started to stand up. Akane didn't let her staff waver for a moment, not believing he'd given up.  
  
Mousse smiled and opened his mouth, letting the trapped voice out.  
  
"Akane, don't it's a trap!" the voice called.  
  
Akane was taken off guard for a moment by the familiar voice and didn't process the warning until was too late.  
  
He swept her legs from under her and Akane hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of her. She never had the chance to replace it as her staff came down firmly on her throat. She blinked and saw Mousse above her, one hand on the staff, one knee on the other end. He pinned her by a knee to the chest and smiled as she desperately to push the staff off of her neck.  
  
Akane's eyes turned slightly, to look at her fallen friends. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, she thought as consciousness started to fade.  
  
Then Hell experienced something it had never felt before. The air around him crystallized, turning to snow. Mousse looked up slightly just in time to see a ball of ice headed straight for him. The blow knocked him off Akane and froze him in place several steps away from her body.  
  
"Akane!" Soun called, quickly followed by Genma and Tofu. He knelt down by the body of his youngest daughter and checked her breathing.  
  
Genma examined the frozen body of Mousse with surprise. "Soun… this is an ice-based spell. There's no way Akane could have cast this."  
  
"She didn't."  
  
Soun and Genma looked up at the woman approaching them. Her long brown hair was tied back with a pretty white ribbon. She was wearing a long, fur trimmed dress with an apron in the front and clutching an Eagle Orb in her hand.  
  
"Ka… Kasumi??" Soun said.  
  
"Hello Father," Kasumi said with a smile. "Now, we must get everyone out of here quickly. Please hurry." Several burly men appeared from behind her and moved quickly to the fallen fighters and Tofu, who eyes had gone slightly swirly.  
  
"Kasumi?" Soun asked, watching them work. "What's going…"  
  
"I'll explain later," she said. "But we must move quickly. Time moves more slowly in Hell then it does in the real world and if we stay too long, we will lose months."  
  
"Months?" Genma asked.  
  
"Yes. If the letter from your friend Kuno is any indication… you've been gone for four months."  
  
* * *  
  
Ryoga woke to a roaring fire. Well, that was it. He had died and was now roasting in Hell. He pushed himself up slowly, feeling the fur blanket slide down his arms. He blinked. This wasn't Hell…  
  
Looking around, he finally began to take in his environment. The stone walls, the brown furs, the chill in the air despite the roaring fire. He stood up quickly and moved towards the door, throwing it open and gasping at the sight.  
  
Harrogath unfolded in front of him. It looked a little beaten since the last time he had been there but he recognized things almost instantly. The smell of the meat cooking on spits. The tall tower in the center of town. The impassable cliffs that surrounded it.  
  
Ryoga was home.  
  
"Ryoga!"  
  
Looking down, he saw a handsome man waving at him. "Midako??"  
  
"Oi, where the hell have you been?" the thin barbarian asked.  
  
Ryoga walked down and took Midako's arm firmly with one hand and patted him on the back with the other. "I never thought I'd see you again!" Ryoga said.  
  
"Well… things change."  
  
"Yeah but I thought they kicked you out of town after you tried to kiss…"  
  
"Let's not talk about that," Midako said. "And you're right. I'm not living in Harrogath anymore. I came with the tribe that took me in."  
  
"So, you're here to fight the demons too?" Ryoga asked.  
  
Midako frowned. "I have been fighting them… for four months."  
  
"Four… months?? What??"  
  
"From what that foxy ice chick said, you were in Hell for a couple of weeks. But, it translates to four months here."  
  
Ryoga was floored. And then he realized what he had missed the first time he seen his hometown. The fighters roasting rabbits were beaten, most of the armor dented and the blades dull. The tower in town was missing part of its roof. And the cliffs were dotted with scorch marks.  
  
"What… what…"  
  
"They came at us about three and a half months ago. My tribe's village was completely destroyed. We fell back to Harrogath and it was decided that we would fight from here. The other tribes were called in and…" Midako paused.  
  
"And??" Ryoga said, his stomach beginning to knot. "Where are they? Where are all the fighters?"  
  
"Ryoga…"  
  
"If all the clans were here there wouldn't be room to walk! They're on an assault, aren't they? They're just out fighting." Midako was silent. "Where are they??"  
  
"I think that I should get a nurse to…"  
  
"WHERE ARE THEY?" Ryoga shouted. Midako's head lowered a bit and his hand pointed to the hill at the edge of town.  
  
Ryoga pushed him out of the way and headed to where Midako had pointed. He heard the other barbarian call out for him but Ryoga pushed on, ignoring the pain in his side from the still fresh wound. His knees strained as his pushed against the snow and incline.  
  
A second later, he stood up at the top of the hill in shock. Wooden crosses filled the field behind the hill, making the white snow almost seem brown. They filled every free space, pushing up against the mountain cliffs. Broken weapons lay in front of them, symbols of their owner's last fight.  
  
"No," Ryoga said softly.  
  
Midako reached him, huffing and puffing from his run up the hill. "Ryoga, you really need to…"  
  
"What happened?" Ryoga asked, ignoring Midako's concern.  
  
Midako sighed, realizing it was pointless to argue with him now. "They were too many of them. No matter how many we killed, more would come out of the portals. It was a losing battle from the start."  
  
Ryoga felt his knees go weak. All of them. Dead. There had to be thousands of crosses out here. That didn't even account for the bodies left behind. The greatest fighters in the world had been obliterated in four months.  
  
Looking to his right, Ryoga felt his heart clench. He pushed his way to the two crosses at the edge of field. A broken axe lay in front of one, a battered shield in front of the other. Carefully, Ryoga's stretched out his hand to touch the handle of the axe.  
  
He felt a firm hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Ryoga," Midako said before walking away.  
  
Ryoga's knees collapsed and he fell to the ground. His bare hands clenched at the snow, turning them red. He would not cry, barbarians did not cry.  
  
* * *  
  
Ranma stood at the doorway, looking out at the expanse of snow. So this was barbarian country. He took a few steps down and landed on the snow, feeling it chill his feet. He walked slowly towards the roaring campfire where his father and Soun were seated.  
  
"So you're up," Genma said. "Nice of you to rejoin the living."  
  
"What happened?" Ranma asked.  
  
"Well, let's see… you fainted but your fiancée managed to save all of you." A memory of Akane in front of Hydra flashed through his mind. "Not just from Diablo but with her bare hands against a half deranged Necromancer."  
  
Ranma paled. "What… where is she?"  
  
Genma frowned. "Resting and recovering for her wounds."  
  
"I have to see…"  
  
Genma laughed. "So you can thank her? So you can apologize to her for being a weakling?" Genma stood up. "I saw her advance to a level that you can't hope to reach! Everyone has advanced in their arts. But you've grown cocky with that sword, thinking that it will be enough to defeat these monsters."  
  
"I'm the best fighter in the group!" Ranma retorted.  
  
"Yes, you are. Ryoga has brute strength. Ukyo has stealth. Shampoo has speed. And you have a bit of all them so you can fight well enough. But you still are missing the most important part."  
  
"What the hell are trying to shovel now, old man?"  
  
"This isn't a game, boy! You don't just kill the monsters and save the day and life goes on. Didn't the ideals of the Paladin teach you anything?"  
  
Ranma blistered. "Maybe if someone had dragged me out of school when I was twelve, I would have learned more. But I know more about the Paladins then you do! They fight for honor and to protect the weak."  
  
"And you failed in that! You failed because you only think with the sword! It's not enough," Genma said stalking off.  
  
"Hey! Don't you leave…"  
  
"Ranma," Soun said, grabbing his hand and pulling him down. "Sit down a moment."  
  
"But…"  
  
"Just sit down," Soun said firmly. Ranma frowned, watching his father disappear into the snow.  
  
"You have to forgive your father," Soun said.  
  
"Are you crazy, old man?" Ranma said. "After he said…"  
  
"Ranma, I can forgive you for that because you have not seen what is going on here." Soun paused. "The Barbarians are defeated, their numbers dwindled to a few hundred."  
  
Ranma paused. "Ryoga…"  
  
"Has lost his parents, probably many of his friends and half of his tribe. But that's not the only reason why your father is upset. Ranma, this was the last full-strength human army left. Now that it is gone, there is nothing to stand up against the invading hordes."  
  
"But we've defeated them before," Ranma said firmly gripping onto the sword at his side.  
  
"Yes but that was localized groups. From what we've been told, this army numbers in the hundreds of thousands."  
  
"The demons are just mindless hordes," Ranma said firmly.  
  
"The sheer number of them will be enough." Soun paused. "Genma understand this and he knows that the last battle will be fought here."  
  
Ranma paused. His father was worried he and his son were going to die. So he was trying to anger him, to make him stronger? But what did he mean when he said that Ranma was missing the most important part?  
  
"There's more," Soun said, softly. "Genma left someone behind here, thinking it would be safe but now she's gone."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Your mother."  
  
* * *  
  
Ukyo's feet hit the snow and she instantly realized that she was going to need more clothes. Walking down the path, she saw Shampoo emerging from one of the huts.  
  
"Shampoo!" Ukyo said waving at the other girl as she ran up to her. "We made it!" Shampoo nodded sadly. "Wait… Mousse is…"  
  
"No," Shampoo replied. "Mousse is still half… away."  
  
Ukyo gripped her shoulder. "We'll get him back. I know we will." Ukyo looked around. "So this is Harrogath. Huh… so where's pig boy? I would have thought he would be running around the place celebrating…" Ukyo trailed off.  
  
"Ukyo, what wrong?" Shampoo said following the other girl's eyes.  
  
Eight horses galloped through the open gate. The small number of barbarians left in town walked up to them. The first rider and jumped off the horse and landed on the ground, pulling the cowl of the cloak off her head.  
  
"Hinako!" Shampoo cried, recognizing the Rogue leader.  
  
"Well, well," the woman said looking at them. "I'm glad to see you made it."  
  
"What you doing…"  
  
"You!" Ukyo cried, watching the two short figures de-cloak. "You're from Lut Gholeim!"  
  
Daikasu smiled. "Told you they'd remember us," he said.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Ukyo said, finishing the question she had interrupted Shampoo from asking.  
  
"We're representatives from Lut Gholeim!" Horshi said. "We've been traveling with the army for a few weeks now but they sent us ahead to let you know they were coming."  
  
"Yes, the Rogues will be here in a few days as well," Hinako said.  
  
"You've come to fight?"  
  
"That we have." The remaining cloaks came off and Shampoo and Ukyo were floored. Paladin. Sorceress. Necromancer. Amazon. Assassin. Druid. Masters of the six classes, together.  
  
"We have come to fight the evil," the Sorceress said.  
  
"It has destroyed many of us already," the Druid continued. "But we will make our final stand here."  
  
"All the classes have assembled," the Amazon continued, ignoring Shampoo's presence. "And we have called all our members back to travel here."  
  
"The time for infighting amongst us is over," the Necromancer said looking over at the Paladin. "The enemy is too great to fight alone."  
  
"So we have joined forces. And traveled here to end this." Ukyo's eyes opened wide as the Assassin finished talking. "Hello, Ukyo-chan," Aiko said softly. "It is good to see you again." Ukyo just stared at her mother silently  
  
"In three days," the Paladin said, "the army of Harrogath will be supplemented with the greatest fighters this world has to offer."  
  
* * *  
  
By evening, the town was alive with activity. Four more horses had followed after the initial part, carrying four high-level Lightning Sorceresses. The women had created a barrier around Harrogath to prevent any further attack. The members of the six classes had crowded around the campfire at the edge of town to discuss plans. The only one missing was a Barbarian, but that was soon remedied.  
  
"I am Hikaru Gosunkugi," the wiry and pale barbarian said joining them. His voice wavered a bit from nervousness. "And I have been placed in charge of this town until our leader's daughter came be found to replace him."  
  
"Where did she go?" the Druid asked, eyeing the new addition wearily.  
  
"If I but knew that, I would have stopped her from leaving. But she was so distraught over the death of her father…" He trailed off. "But she is our responsibility. Your main concern should be the demon army to the West."  
  
The Paladin nodded, unfurling the parchment. "The Amazons have scouted ahead and determined that there are around seven portals in the area." He pointed to the markings on the map. "We need to destroy them and cut off the supply chain of the army."  
  
"We should take the leaders out first," Aiko said. "Without them, there will be no one left to control the hordes. Leave that to my assassins."  
  
"Agreed," the Necromancer said. "Let the Necromancers travel through the portals. We can determine how to destroy them from the inside."  
  
"But how will you…" the Amazon started. She trailed off, realizing that whoever went in would not be returning. "We will finish off what is left outside," she said firmly.  
  
"We will help with that," the Sorceress said. "Now all that remains is to wait for our forces to arrive."  
  
"There is trouble in the north," Gosunkugi said timidly. "A small invasion force has been making its way to Harrogath. They've dug in but their numbers are small. A group of fighters might be able to clean the area out and allow our soldiers to use it instead."  
  
"That would be a good idea," the Druid said. "But who do we send?"  
  
Gosunkugi smiled.  
  
* * *  
  
Across the camp, the weary fighters attempted to find rest before the coming storm. Shampoo walked back into the small hut to check on Mousse. He was still bound against the wall but his mouth was free though he never spoke. She took one last sad look before she went to face the Amazon leader who had arrived. As she left, she brushed against the Necromancer who walked in to see Mousse.  
  
Genma looked up from cleaning his armor as the Wolf's head landed at his feet. His Druid master smiled at him, landing a hearty pat on his back. He pulled out of jug of mead and listened while Genma related their tale.  
  
Ranma walked down the road, kicking a few rocks, mulling over his father's words. What was he missing? And had his mother really been here? If she was, then why did she leave? He was so caught up in his thoughts that he never saw the Paladin until he ran right into the dark skinned man.  
  
Akane woke up, last of all of them, to a sight more wonderful then she could have imagined. When the tears had stopped flowing, she slowly let go of Kasumi and saw the master Sorceress in the room with her. With a slow nod, the Sorceress beckoned her to begin her tale.  
  
Ukyo sat by the fire, feet curled up to her chest. The light of the flames danced across her face as she let herself get hypnotized the fire. A shadow fell across the flame and Ukyo looked up, seeing the older Assassin across from her. Aiko looked at her sadly for a moment before taking the seat across from her daughter.  
  
In a tiny hut, near the center of town, Ryoga struggle to pull the last bit of handle from his father's axe blade. When it was free, he grabbed the one he had removed from his axe and used the hammer to force it in. As soon as the hammering on wood stopped, the town was filled the sound of metal against metal as he hammered the dents out of the shield.  
  
Three days away, the army of Light camped for the night. There was an air of revelry as old friends were reunited and celebrated over the union of classes. But they all knew in the backs of their mind, that this was needed to steel themselves for the coming battle. For across the mountains lay the demon horde led by the last Brother, set to destroy the world. 


	26. Act 5, Quest 1 : Stop the Siege

Author's note : 

Okay... so it's been a while. And I would use the whole FF.net was down but... well that's not entirely the case. Most people probably won't realize this but I've been working on this story from November and to have it come to a close after all this time... well, it's been a bit harder than I thought. I know how it's going to end (I think) but getting there is the hard part.

A very special thanks goes out to Another Duck who has been subjected to my whining about this already, kicked my butt into gear after a month of hiatus and who was nice enough to beta read this for me. 

Anyway, I wanted to thank everyone who's made it this far in the story. Here's a teaser of what's going to happen:

_Months of fighting and it has come to this. The Army of Diablo is about to clash with the Army of Light and it will be a war that will change the world forever. Caught in the middle, the seven heroes who have fought and lost so much already. A wedding, a death, redemption and the end of the world. It's the final act of Diablo : Lord of Confusion._

**Act 5, Quest 1 : Stop the Siege**

The snow exploded upwards as the body got tossed into a pile of it. The tall Amazon strode forward, spear held slightly at her side. From her position in the ground, Shampoo frowned and pushed herself up.

"Dishonor!" The Amazon cried. "Dishonor have you brought to your family and for what… a MAN?"

"I understand," Shampoo said in her native tongue.

"You are dead to them," the Amazon continued. "Dead to all of us."

Shampoo's purple hair sank into the snow. She had tried, tried to explain things but her grandmother had already convinced them that she had failed the teachings of the Amazon class. It had been risky because the Amazon could have killed her before she even spoke a word.

The spear came to rest under Shampoo's neck. "For your actions, there is only one solution."

There was a loud smack as the spear flew away. The Amazon looked up and watched the young assassin walk up to them.

"Back off, lady," Ukyo said, gripping the twin blades on her hand. The Amazon glowered at her but walked off. Ukyo quickly helped Shampoo to her feet. "Are you okay?"

"Shampoo fine," she said. "In no danger."

"I think a spear to your neck might be pretty damn dangerous," Ukyo replied.

"If Amazon wanted Shampoo dead, Shampoo already be dead," she replied. "Just want to make point. No going back."

Ukyo sighed and brought her friend up to her feet. "Come on, let's go get something to eat." 

* * *

Akane left the safety of the hut while her sister looked over more of the wounded. Kasumi looked completely settled in her but then the climate was perfect for an ice-based sorceress.

Walking down the snow-covered path, Akane let the Warmth spell envelop her as her feet began to get chilled. Even with the spell, Akane could help but feel cold, even if it was just in her mind. She took a seat next to the fire and noticed that she wasn't alone.

"Ryoga?" she said softly.

The barbarian looked up at her. "Akane," he said.

"Ryoga… I heard about your parents. I'm really sorry. I know what it's like… if you want to talk about it."

Ryoga shook his head. "It's expected, you know, when your class is like mine. But I guess…" he trailed off.

Akane sat in silence trying to think of a way to cheer up the young man. But then, in the time she had none him, Ryoga never struck her as the cheerful type.

"Do you remember when we first met?" Akane said. "Back at the Den of Evil?" 

Ryoga nodded. "I can think of better ways to meet someone."

Akane giggled, remembering the exchange that had resulted in both he and Ranma being booted into the stratosphere courtesy of her. "I guess not… but it was memorable."

Ryoga was silent. "It's strange to look back to then. It seems so long ago. We've traveled so far and…" He paused. "I wanted to come home but not to this."

"Ryoga," Akane said, "we'll defend Harrogarth. We'll…" she trailed off as someone joined them. 

If the cold of the climate made her shiver a bit, the look on this guy chilled her to the bone. Gosunkugi bowed slightly.

"Hibiki," the pale man said. "I heard you were back. I was… saddened by the loss of your parents." Ryoga looked up at him with anger. There was obviously no love lost between these two. "And of course… about Akari."

Ryoga's eyes shot open. "Akari? What happened to her?"

Gosunkugi frowned, as if surprised. "I thought you would have…" His voice fell off as he found his collar locked in the hands of an angry barbarian.

"Ryoga!" Akane called out in surprise.

"Where is she?" Ryoga said evenly.

* * *

Ranma concentrated on the tree stump in front of him. He felt the mana flowing into him as he charged up for the spell. His eyes locked on the stump and he let the Smite spell go. The stump lifted from the ground slightly but stayed in place. He frowned.

"That's fine," the Paladin said from beside him, seeing the frustration on the younger man's brow. "You have to understand that a majority of our class' strength does not come from within. We must rely not just on ourselves but on our faith. Faith in the people around us and faith in the good of this world."

Ranma sighed, thinking back to the past months. Good of the world didn't exactly come to mind when he thought of all the people who had been killed, all the monsters that were roaming the land.

But then, he remembered Hinako who had lost so much when the Rouges fell yet had come here to fight. And the way Kuno had fought along side with them. He thought of Nabiki, whose frozen form protected the people of Kurast. And then there were the barbarians buried in the field, who had died to protect the entire world from the demon armies.

There was good. It was hidden but believing that it was there… that was faith. Ranma nodded and looked at the stump, trying to cast the spell once more.

"RYOGA! Let him go!"

Ranma jumped recognizing Akane's voice. Without even apologizing, he was off towards the main bonfire, almost colliding with Ukyo and Shampoo as they reached the site.

Akane was pulling at Ryoga's arm, trying to get him to release Gosunkugi. "Ryoga please!" Akane said.

"Don't tell me you don't know," Ryoga said. "You've always wanted her out of the way. She was next in line run the clan!"

"Ryoga!" Ranma called, helping Akane. "Let him go!"

"Listen to them," Gosunkugi said, a bit of fear creeping in his voice. "Whatever you may think, it's wrong. Akari left on her own after her father died."

"LIAR!" Ryoga called. "You just wanted to run the clan yourself!"

"I wouldn't have had to," Gosunkugi replied, "if you hadn't left." Ryoga's grip loosened slightly and Gosunkugi slithered away behind the two girls.

"Ryoga?" Akane asked.

Ryoga turned back to look at his friends. He found himself at a loss for words because Gosunkugi had been right. If he hadn't have left then maybe… maybe…

"I didn't come here to fight," the pale boy said. "We need your help with a small matter."

* * *

The group watched the gate open up for them, bracing against the cold winter air that was blowing down from the mountain. As soon as they had crossed the drawbridge, the gate snapped down, securing the town once more.

"Where do we need to go?" Ukyo asked.

"Across the plains," Ryoga said. "The Overseer has set up a small camp right next to the mountains."

Ukyo nodded and silently fell into step. Things were changing. Ryoga was slowly losing himself to anger. Shampoo was outcast from her tribe. Akane was fighting better than any of them. And Ranma was pushing himself to learn the true nature of his Paladin class.

The only one who wasn't changing was her. She never changed, she just kept pushing forward. That was what people like her did. Because if you stopped long enough to think about changing, you stopped long enough to get a good look at your past.

Ukyo looked down at the footsteps in the snow. Having her mother back made it painfully obvious how much she had avoided her past. And how it was slowly becoming clear that she would have to face it or stay the same as she always was.

She looked up at Ranma, a silent sigh escaping her lips. Shampoo had already conceded what was obvious. And what's worse, is that Shampoo had seen right through her. Ranma was Ukyo's link to the past, a chance to regain what she had lost. But now…

She looked over at Ryoga, remembering all the times they had fought together. She had joked in Hell when she said they always seemed to be stuck together. But then how much of it had been a joke?

"Oh my God."

Ukyo stopped and looked at Akane who had stopped in her tracks, along with the rest of the group. What could have possibly made them stop their march? Turning to the field, she suddenly realized.

The battlements were covered with blood and dirt. Standards fluttered in the wind, torn to shreds by the battle. There were bodies but it was hard to distinguish human from demon amid the carnage. Smoke filled the air from fires long since extinguished though the acrid scent of burning was still there.

"Come on," Ryoga said firmly pushing the group forward. "We still need to cross the…"

A cloud of green gas exploded next to them and the group dove for cover. There were no monsters in sight however.

"Where did it come from?" Ukyo yelled. 

"Catapult!" Ryoga yelled back.

"Shampoo get it," she said, suddenly getting up and running across the field.

"Wait, Shampoo!" Ranma called out. But the purple haired girl was gone. "Damn it!" he said. He turned around to call for a fire spell but Akane was gone.

There was an explosion several meters in front of them. No longer able to stay still, Ranma took off finding the two girls standing around the remains of a destroyed catapult.

"Next time, try asking for help!" Akane shouted.

"Why need Sorceress to help? Can fight for self!"

"Right, a bow against a catapult, that makes a lot of sense!"

"Guys," Ukyo called, "just calm down."

"Stay out of this!" the two girls screamed back.

"Just because Akane win one fight not mean she best fighter."

"Well I sure saved your butt back in Hell," Akane shot back.

"What's the matter with you!" Ukyo cried. She shot a look over to Ryoga. "Are you going to let them fight it out?"

Ryoga shrugged. "Why should I stop them?"

"Did everyone just go insane?" Ukyo yelled. "We're in the middle of battle field surrounded by monsters and we're fighting amongst ourselves." She turned to Ranma to plead for his help but he was already turned at Akane.

"You can't just run off like!" Ranma was telling her.

Akane blinked. "Oh, I'm sorry that I didn't wait for your slow brain to kick in a better solution."

"At least I stop to think sometimes," Ranma replied.

"Paladin always think," Shampoo said. "Always have to think before act. Take too long."

"Because the Amazon approach of running headlong into battle makes so much more sense," Ranma said back. 

"At least Shampoo know what means to be Amazon, not like half-Paladin!"

"At least my class acknowledges my existence," he replied.

There was a moment of silence filled with a regret that didn't need to be spoken. And then, the crack of flesh as Shampoo's fist made contact. Ranma fell back and suddenly Akane jumped in his place, punching at Shampoo.

"STOP IT!" Ukyo yelled. " Don't you see… there must have been something in the poison cloud that hit us. It's making us want to fight each other." There was a pause as they looked at her. "Let's got back to town and get healed. We won't be able to fight anything if we kill each other first."

The group looked around at each other, heaving from the beginnings of the fight. With a defeated looked, they headed back.

* * *

Ukyo sat at the fire, her arms hugging her knees into her chest. She was trying to forget what had happened but her mind kept coming back to it, dwelling on every word. What happened? How did they all suddenly end up at each other's throats?

"There was no poison." Ukyo looked up, watching as her mother crossed the fire and sat at the other side. "Whatever you were hit with, there was no chemical in it."

"There had to be," Ukyo said firmly. "You should have seen them! It was like… it was like when I almost killed those girls, or like when the poison I gave the king…" She stopped, suddenly seeing the young prince bleeding to death again.

"It wasn't that," Aiko said softly. "They are the only causes of their actions."

"No! I don't believe it!" Ukyo said standing up. "On the ship! That golem made us all fight each other! It has to be something…"

"But it's not, Ukyo-chan," Aiko continued sadly. 

"Then why?" Ukyo said, suddenly hearing her own voice breaking as she sat back down. "Why did everything fall apart."

Aiko sighed and stood up, walking over to her daughter and sitting next to the young assassin. "Ukyo-chan, you and your friends are heroes, there is no question about that. But what's happening now…" She paused with a sigh.

"Heroes are always made to be these superhuman creatures," Aiko continued. "They are supposed to slay evil, save the good and live happily ever after. But true heroes, real heroes, are as mortal as the rest of us. And you have all lost so much already. To be faced with what awaits us in the coming weeks…it may have just become too much to bear."

Ukyo stopped and thought back to the past weeks. Mousse was still lost to them. Nabiki was trapped in an unbreakable spell. They had traveled to Hell and back to defeat an incredible foe only to find a stronger one was still waiting for them in the wings.

"But…" Ukyo started, "but what are we suppose to do?"

Aiko sighed. "I wish I knew. You see people like us, Ukyo-chan, we don't lead or follow. We move in the shadows and we usually move alone. I don't know if there is anything you can do to help. But…" Aiko trailed off.

"But what?"

* * *

Ranma walked into the darkened hut and took a seat on the ground, looking over at the mute Necromancer. Mousse's eyes twitched with venom but Ranma could see something behind them trying to push itself out.

"Man, I wish you were back to normal," Ranma said with a shake of his head. "You're the one we used to rely on for intelligence and I'm sure not up to the role." He paused. "Actually, maybe it's better that you're that way since after what I said to Shampoo…"

He looked up at Mousse. "I don't know what the hell happened to me. One minute, everything's normal and then… BAM! I totally lost control. Only I think I may have lost control a while ago.

"Pop was right. I have been doing things half-assed. You should see this Paladin master, he knows things that I didn't think were even possible! More than just the techniques…

"The Paladin class doesn't work by itself," Ranma continued. "The master said that a Paladin must rely on his faith on others and on the good of this world. But after today… I don't know anymore. I used to just be able to tell them what to do and there were no questions. But now, everyone wants to do their own thing. We couldn't even get thirty feet past the gate without arguing and we're supposed to stop the siege?"

Ranma crossed his arms. "It all started when you left, you know. Maybe… maybe we just all finally realized we could be next." He paused. "No, I think it was more that that. I think you were the only one who really thought things through, the one who kept us out of just running straight into things. Who'd have thought that a Necromancer, especially a blind one, would have actually mattered so much?"

There was silence and suddenly the shifting of fabric. Looking up, Ranma's brow furrowed as he watched the Necromancer struggle. Mousse's hand came up and then fell forward, right onto Ranma's. The eyes reflected confusion, as if something could not be decided. His mouth stayed clamped shut but even though the gesture had no word to it but the meaning was clear.

Be strong, bring them back together, and win this war.

* * *

Akane sat in the hut, watching Kasumi check on the patients. Her sister favored them all with a kind smile and some warm words before walking to her younger sister. The smile was still there, despite the obvious look of anguish on Akane's face.

"Did you have a nice trip?" Kasumi asked as she sat down next to her.

Akane sighed. "It wasn't a trip, onee-chan," she said softly. "And it didn't go well."

Kasumi's smile faltered a bit. "That's too bad." She paused. "Is everyone else sad like you?"

Akane shrugged. "I really don't know and to be honest, I really don't care."

"We should make them cookies then."

Akane looked over at her sister. "What?"

"Cookies. Cookies will cheer all of you up."

"Kasumi… I don't think this is the sort of thing that cookies will help."

"When you or Nabiki were sad, mother always used to make cookies," Kasumi said with a smile. 

Akane's brow furrowed in anger. Everyone was fighting with each other and Kasumi thought that cookies were going to help? Her sister could be so dense sometimes.

"Kasumi, I can't cook," Akane said harshly. "You know that, they all make it clear as day to me, they'd rather die than…"

Kasumi smile deepened. "Well, mother's cookies weren't always perfect. But because she put all her love and all her desire to make you two happier into making them, they always helped."

Akane blinked and looked over at Kasumi. No… no her sister wasn't clueless at all. She knew exactly what she was talking about, even if she went in a roundabout way of saying it.

"Oh! Tofu-san!" Kasumi said, hoping up as she saw the young leader from Kurast walk in. "I'm glad you're here. Shimato-san was complaining that his leg hurt and I thought you might know something that could help."

But of course, by then, the voice of Kasumi had rendered the poor guy completely helpless.

* * *

Ryoga stared down in his beer mug with a frown. The frown had never left his face, not since arriving home. Things had gotten progressively worse since he had stepped into his hometown.

His parents… they were gone. And his friends… he didn't even know about half of them. If only… if only he had those few precious months back that they had lost in Hell. Everything might have been different. Even if he had just been here to stop Akari…

He paused thinking back to the little chieftain's daughter. They had been friends for as long as he could remember. And the last few years, people had begun to whisper about the possibility of something more.

Ryoga had run away, thinking he was cursed and not wanting to be a burden anymore. But wasn't it just that he was scared? They wanted him to marry into the chief's family. That would pretty much put him in charge with Akari. 

He swished the liquid in the mug. All he ever wanted was to see the world, be a real adventurer. He never wanted to have to run a clan and have that much responsibility. But his selfishness had caused them all to be killed. 

He thought of Akane, the beautiful sorceress who had enraptured him on first glance but had grown so much since he had met that she was barely the same person. There was Ranma who was a foil in his side but who had proved to be a great comrade in arms. Shampoo, the young woman who was never lacking courage. Mousse who had more smarts then all of them put together. Ukyo who always teased him, made him laugh and always looked out for the others.

He brought the mug down to the table with a large bang. There was no use thinking about the past. That was dead and gone. He needed to take charge of the future. He needed to stop the siege. And he needed to find Akari.

* * *

Ranma walked down towards the center of town, looking around for his father. But the older man was gone. Finally, Ranma settled for the master Druid that his father had been speaking to. The older man nodded quickly when Ranma asked about his father.

"Yes, I saw him," the Druid asked.

"Where is he now?" Ranma asked.

The Druid sighed. "His mind was troubled. I told him he would have to seek a place to regain calm."

"Where?" Ranma asked again. The Druid pointed towards the towering mountain behind them. "He went up the mountain?"

"He was troubled… by what's happening with his son and the disappearance of his wife. He would not be a capable druid if he didn't seek a spot to meditate and clear his mind."

Ranma looked at the Druid. "Are you crazy? The mountains are crawling with monsters and you told him to go out by himself??"

The Druid shook his head. "You underestimate your father. He will be fine." And the Druid turned away, ending the conversation. 

Ranma wanted to say more but there was no use. He would just have to trust that his father was fine. Besides, something else caught his attention. Shampoo was walking down the stairs, suddenly catching his eye.

The two paused and didn't say anything for several moments. There was no way to say sorry, no way to take back what was said. But they both knew that they would have to put those feelings aside until this war was done.

"Ukyo's gone!" The two of them turned just as Akane skidded to a stop between them. 

"What do you mean, gone?" Ranma asked.

"I went to go talk to her," Akane said, "and I couldn't find her. So I asked the master Assassin and she said that Ukyo had gone off to do what an assassin does."

"What that mean?" Shampoo asked.

"It means she went off to assassinate the Overseer," Ryoga said, suddenly rejoining them. "It means she's going to do what all of us couldn't. And it means, she's probably going to get killed in the process." 

* * *

Ukyo moved quickly across the snow, barely leaving an imprint as she wove her way though the limited cover. Even with Burst of Speed and Cloak of Shadows, she still had to be carefully as she moved into the center of the army. There would be mages soon that could see through her Cloak.

The Overseer would probably being in the most well guarded position of the camp. She needed all the luck she could get.

"You see, people like us, Ukyo-chan, we don't lead or follow. We move in the shadows and we usually move alone."

Alone. Ukyo said as she jumped over a small collection of demons. Alone was how it was going to have to be. She needed to give them this chance. She needed to give the Light Army enough time to reach Harrogath. And this was the only way she could do it.

"One assassin can sneak in virtually undetected. Any more and we'd be creating too much a mana strain on the environment not to be noticed. It has to be just one. And it's either you or me, daughter."

Ukyo clambered up a tree and took in a deep breath. She could see him know. The Overseer was in the center of a large pentagram, shouting out orders. There had to be at least two hundred demons in the near vicinity. 

"I'll go. I'll go because the assassins need a leader and they can't lose you."

She closed her eyes and concentrated, watching as the tiny traps appeared in her hands. They just needed to be close to him. The Lightning and Inferno traps would take out a lot of demons. But that wasn't going to be enough. Ukyo knew that.

"I wish I had been as good a mother as I am a leader. Good bye Ukyo-chan."

Ukyo let the traps go and the devastation was instant. Demons blew up into pieces or were burned to a crisp in the blink of an eye. The Overseer barely had time to register the attack when he saw the assassin jump down from the tree and run towards him.

He threw out a hand to order his troops to stop her but could only watch as the trap came right at him. The assassin turned and ran. The Overseer tried the same. But Death Sentry exploded into a fury of lightning and corpses.

A few minutes later, the camp was on fire. Debris rained down from the sky. Corpses lay strewn across the entire plain. The Overseer was nothing but a charred husk. And then suddenly, it began to snow, putting out the fires and bringing peace to the field once more.


	27. Act 5, Quest 2 : Rescue on Mt. Arreat

**STOP!!! READ THIS FIRST!!!**

Okay... I don't know who did and because I never will, this is the only place that I can state my peace and feel like I've done something about what happened.

Thank you. Thank you **SO **much. A couple of days ago I got a message from the Ranma FanFiction awards telling me I had won second place in the continuing series. There's like about ten minutes of complete disbelief before I'm so incredibly happy and proud. 

I wanted to thank everyone who voted but I can't do it individually so I'll thank you now. Thanks for reading the fic and actually voting for it. I never hoped for anything like that to happen. In fact, I'm surprised that so many of you are still reading this fic after so long. I've always just written for the sheer joy of doing it and the hope that other people might get some amusement out of it.

So anyway... go on and read the story, I know it's what you're really here for. And thanks to Another Duck again for being my guinea... ah, beta reader ^_^ again. 

Act 5, Quest 2: Rescue on Mt. Arreat 

Akane's hands dug into the fresh snow, looking for anything recognizable. Each moment was torture, as if the next body part she came across would suddenly be Ukyo's. The snow was melting around her, the power of Warmth slowly overpowering the cold. But even as the ground was slowly revealed, it became painful obvious that Ukyo was nowhere in sight.

Akane stopped digging and felt herself sniffle. Ukyo was not her best friend and her only real rival for Ranma (if Akane forced herself to think of herself in contention for him). But… but lately, it seemed that Ukyo had been pulling them all together as group even when they were all fighting to stay apart.

First Mousse, now Ukyo. It seemed like the people who kept this group together were the first ones to get lost. Akane's eyes began to well up.

"Akane?" Ranma asked kneeling back at her.

"I don't want it anymore," Akane said suddenly. Shampoo and Ryoga stopped, turning to face her.

"Don't want what?"

"I don't want Fire Mastery," she said. "Ever since I got it, I've been messing things up." She turned to face Shampoo. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have yelled at you. And I didn't listen to you," she looking at Ranma. "It makes me think I'm so strong but… but all I'm doing is hurting people."

"Akane no hurt anyone," Shampoo said impassively. 

"But I started the fight," Akane said. "And Ukyo tried to stop us but…but none of us listened to her. And now she's gone. Just like Mousse."

"Don't be surprised," Ryoga said suddenly. "That's the way things work."

"What are you talking about?" Ranma said, turning over to the face the dour man. 

"In a war like this, everyone pretty much dies." He paused, suddenly looking a bit sad. "Ukyo was just following that path."

Akane sob caught in her throat and Shampoo was looking coldly at Ryoga. But before either of them could say anything, Ranma was heading towards him.

"Look, I know that you've had it rough the past couple of days," Ranma said, walking towards Ryoga, "but there's no reason to say things like that."

"Why not?" Ryoga responded. "It's the truth."

"Ukyo's not dead," Ranma said firmly.

"Why would you care?" Ryoga replied. "It's not like you ever wanted her around. You were the one that abandoned her when she was a kid, right?"

"I didn't abandon her!" Ranma snapped. "That was all my father's doing."

"Right… always blaming your pop. It must be nice to have a scapegoat like that."

"Let it go, man. You're going to push me to far."

Ryoga looked at him with an angry eye. "Really? What happens when I push you too far?"

Ranma glowered at him and shifted his feet in the snow. 

"You're going to fight me?" Ryoga said. 

"If that's what it takes to beat some sense into your head."

Ryoga pulled out his axe and threw it to the ground, tossing his armor next to it. Ranma frowned and followed suit. Akane was about to stand up to put herself between them but Shampoo grabbed her.

"What are you doing?" Akane cried, "they'll kill each other!"

"This fight long time coming," Shampoo said softly.

"But…"

Akane paused. The months of journeying played back through her mind. Ranma and Ryoga always bickered and tried to out do each other. But Akane never thought that would ever come to serious fighting. It was more like friendly rivalry. 

Looking at them now, anger dancing in their eyes, Akane was forced to wonder if maybe it hadn't been friendly at all. If maybe it wasn't just anger in their eyes. But hate.

* * *

The cold wind hit Genma like a ton of bricks. His hands clenched at the stony grips as he tried to pull his body over the top of the ledge. Finally reaching the plateau, he collapsed into the snow. Pushing off the ground, he looked around the area and found it completely devoid of anything but snow. Nothing grew here; nothing moved. The master Druid was right. This would be the perfect place to clear his mind.

He stumbled across the snow, finding a crack in the wall of the mountain and stumbling inside. The cave was still cold but offered some protection from the winter air. It would be enough for him to mediate without causing physical damage.

He noticed that the cave actually stretched far into the back. Cautiously, he walked down the path, wondering where it would lead. The paths were ice and Genma fought to maintain his balance. The cave wound it's way deep into the mountain and Genma was instantly on alert. This would be the perfect place for an ambush, he realized.

There was sound in front of him and Genma tensed up. But as he came closer, he realized that it was only the sound of water. The frozen river that ran through the mountain had thawed here and leaning down, Genma could see straight to the bottom. It was completely pure.

There was movement to his right and Genma spun around, gripping his staff to prepare for his first spell. What he saw quickly abated his battle lust. Slowly, he took a few steps forward, reaching out a hand to touch what he could only pray was an apparition. But his hand made contact and Genma realized with horror that it was real. Worse than that, he realized that this was not the only one.

Stretching around the frozen river and into the deep recesses of the cavern paths, a long line of crosses, each adorned with the body of a barbarian, both male and female. His stomach clenched as his mind realized the immensity of the atrocity before him. He mind swam and he may have passed out but he had suddenly caught sight of one of the crosses.

Walking over, he came face to face with the woman tied there. Her face was covered with blood, her long black hair matted down to the skull. The eyes were closed, as if she was simply asleep. But the stains on her clothes and the open wounds that no longer bled made it clear that she was not sleeping. She was dead.

Carefully, he cut down the body and brought it into his arms, slowly kneeling on the ground. With a slow movement, he touched the dead woman's face. As soon as his hand had passed her chin, it clenched in rage.

The demons that were assembling behind him were about to feel the full strength of a master Druid.

* * *

Ryoga stumbled backwards, choking slightly on the blood that was filling his mouth. The air around him became slightly misty as he breathed heavily. 

"Had enough?" Ranma asked.

Ryoga laughed slightly. "Not even close."

He lunged forward sending a fist and a heel straight at his opponent. Ranma dodged with a spin and came around his back ready to throw a devastating punch at his back. But Ryoga was gone before the punch even cleared Ranma's side and managed to deliver a strong punch to Ranma's upper arm in the process.

"This can't be the right thing to do," Akane asked, looking over at Shampoo.

"Akane no understand. Fighters like Barbarian, Paladin, Amazon… all need fight to get out frustrations."

Akane looked over at the fighting pair with a frown. "I don't understand it."

"No, Sorceress no understand. So no like us."

"That doesn't mean that your way is the right one."

"Is right one for us," Shampoo said with a shrug. "Akane think they listen if she say different?"

Akane's hands clenched. If only Mousse or Ukyo were here. Mousse was always so smart, he'd think of a way to stop them. And Ukyo would jump in and stop them, make them see what was wrong.

What good was all the fire power in the world now? She could use it to decimate legions of the undead, call upon it to help her against the demons. But now, when two of her friends were about to kill each other, she couldn't do a thing.

She looked over at Shampoo but the amazon's face was impassive and her eyes stared at the scene unfolding in front of her. Shampoo wouldn't do anything. If anyone was going to do something… it would have to be her.

* * *

The animal scream rang through the caverns, causing icicles to shake and break free from the wall. The demons hesitated for a moment, sensing their own pointless demise if they dared to continue.

The Werewolf raged from his spot, howling into the sky as a rapid succession of spells encompassed him. Fury welled up and turned the air red. Five ravens circled above him in the air. Two large grizzly bears stood at his side and a huge vine was growing up of the ground, slowly looping its way around them all.

The demons fell back just as the animals attacked. The sound of tearing flesh filled the caverns quickly replacing the Werewolf's battle cry. The air became thick with the smell of death as the ambush team was destroyed in seconds.

And then just as quickly as it began, it was over. The enemies were defeated and the summoned monsters flickered out of existence. The Werewolf raged once more before the fur began to disappear and humanity returned to the druid.

Genma closed his eyes and cleared his mind. Ironically, it turned out that this was exactly what the master Druid had ordered him to do. His mind was cleared of all questions and doubt. The path was clear.

Leaning down, he carefully wrapped the body at his feet in his cloak and threw it over his shoulder. He began to walk back to the entrance of the cave and paused looking back at the crucifixes behind him. He knew why they were keeping the bodies in here. Food for the demons. He wouldn't all that indignity befall the bodies of these fallen heroes. He brought up his hand, lips moving as he cast the most powerful spell he knew.

Armageddon exploded in the cave, meteorites scattering across the cavern from the eruption in the air. They tore through everything in their path, leaving only charred remains in their path.

Those remains caught fire and began burning. Suddenly the cavern began to melt, slowly feeding the thawing river. The cavern filled with water, rushing down through all the passageways, cleaning up any signs of destruction there and purifying the mountain once more.

But by then, Genma had already returned to Harrogath.

* * *

"STOP IT!" Akane suddenly screamed, watching Ryoga land a blow in Ranma's stomach. Ranma's knee buckled but he still managed to kick upwards, landing a satisfying hit to Ryoga's stomach.

Akane ran forward and pushed between them. "Stop it… please," she said softly. "This is why Ukyo left. She ran away because we were all fighting. If she's here… if she's in this field somewhere…" Akane paused and looked at them. 

"What would it have been for?" Akane cried looking at them. "If you keep fighting, then her sacrifice meant nothing! I don't care if you think this is the only way to solve your problems! You can't just kill each other. That's not the right solution, it's just the easy way out.

"First Mousse, now Ukyo… they all sacrificed themselves for us, so that we could keep going. And now we're going to toss that aside?" She looked over at Shampoo, seeing the purple-haired Amazon looking at her sadly.

"Mousse is still alive, we owe him the chance of redemption by defeating this army. And Ukyo… Ukyo could still be…"

There was crunching on the snow and the group turned. A barbarian stood there, clearly out of breath. 

"You need to get back to Harrogath," he managed to get out. "Genma-san found… he found…"

But before he could even finish, the group was already running back towards Harrogath.

* * *

In the middle of the war torn town, a wooden table sat onto of a pile of chopped trees. A body lay on the table, draped in a white blanket. In front of it, the master Paladin was chanting prayers. 

The small group assembled there turned, watching as the group of heroes suddenly arrived. No one said a word but stood silently as they caught their breath, slowly taking in the situation.

Akane dropped to the ground first, clutching her sides as she began to cry. Shampoo turned away, unwilling to let anyone see the grief that clutched her. Ryoga's face was set in stone though his eyes were reflecting a sea of emotions. Ranma locked eyes with his father, seeing the way the older man stared at the table. Genma looked up at Ranma and he suddenly realized what was going on.

"It's not Ukyo," Ranma said suddenly.

The group looked up at him with surprise. No one contended the statement. Suddenly a wave of relief hit the group. It wasn't her! Ukyo could still be alive!!

"It's not," Genma said, confirming their suspicions. "But…" He reached a hand forward and placed it on the figure in front of him.

Akane felt it first, that crushing feeling of guilt that she took some joy in someone else's death because it wasn't who she thought it was. But watching the silent conversation between Ranma and his father, Akane suddenly realized that he knew who it was.

"Ranma," she said softly, standing up and taking his hand in her own. "I'm so sorry."

But Ranma didn't make a sound. He just watched the ritual proceed, staring into the burning fire that took away the mother he never had the chance to know.

Hours later, in the quiet of the night, Harrogath seemed to be at peace once more. The smell of smoke still lingered but would be gone by morning. Five figures remained around the small pile of ash, trying to find the words.

So many months had passed, so many tragedies had befallen them. Somehow the funeral pyre had reminded them of all that. Akane had seen Tristram burn once more. Shampoo had felt the searing pain of a blow that should have ended her life but instead forced Mousse to sacrifice his. And Ryoga saw all the bodies of his fallen comrades in that one pyre. 

Worse than all that was the realization that it really could have been Ukyo. That her actions had led to her death because the rest of them were too caught up in their own problems to realize the group was falling apart. That she had committed the ultimate sacrifice to try to bring them together.

And in that realization came the reminder that they were all the same. Yes, they were different in class, different in background, but similar in so many other ways. They were comrades in arms, friends and had shared tragedies together before. 

Wordlessly, they reached an agreement. Akane had been right. Too many people had sacrificed themselves to give the rest a chance to fight on. It was time to end the arguments and enter the final battle.

Genma stood up first. "The demons are using the barbarians for food. I'd bet that they kept a few pens of live ones." 

Ryoga stood up and readjusted his armor. "It'll be further in from the Overseer's location. Nothing is left there now."

"Let's go then," Ranma said, turning away, Akane following quickly behind. 

As soon as they were gone, the ash on the ground shifted and caught itself in the air, slowly dancing in the sky before disappearing amid the stars. A dim light shown over the spent pyre and a few white feathers fell onto it.

"Was it really necessary?"

Nodoka Saotome feet touched the ground and her wings folded behind her. She looked up at her fellow angel with a small smile. "It was the only way. Tragedy will bring them together again. It's why Aiko sent her own daughter out as a sacrifice."

"Yes… but shouldn't you have told them what happened after you died."

Nodoka looked over at her friend with a smile. "Well, I can't say I didn't want my husband to suffer just a bit for taking my son away from me."

"That's not very angel like."

"I guess you've being doing this long then I have, Tendo-san," Nodoka replied. She paused. "Your daughter is beautiful and strong. I'm glad Genma finally made a good decision." Nodoka looked up at the sky. "Shall we go then?"

Her wings unfurled and she pushed off the ground, the action scattering the last of the ashes away to the wind.

* * *

Shampoo pulled back the bowstring and waited for Ranma's signal. She looked over at the pen, watching the barbarians milling about. Wearily she looked to her left, watching Ryoga's growing anger.

They were alive, he realized. They were still more people left alive! But trapped, like swine to be used for food. Despair was suddenly being replaced by rage.

"Ryoga?" Shampoo asked. "Remember plan, right?" And despite the overpowering anger, Ryoga nodded and waited for the signal as well.

There was a flash of light as Ranma cast Holy Bolt. The scream next to her momentarily stunned Shampoo. But she pulled herself out of it and began to fire her arrows. She knew what that was… it was War Cry, a master level Barbarian skill. 

And it had just taken out a whole mess of demons. They wobbled around, stunned but alive. That was quickly taken care of when Ryoga suddenly went into a Berserker rage and began to decimate them with Whirlwind.

The display of mastery didn't affect Shampoo though. She just concentrated on firing her arrows, one after another until the space between them disappeared and ten arrows flying out a time were being shot at once. In her determination, she was casting Strafe without knowing it.

And then suddenly… there were no creatures left to fight. The barbarians in the pen were cheering as Ryoga walked over and quickly made short work of the lock. Akane walked over and cast a town portal spell, motioning them through. Ranma talked to a few of them, learning that there were other pens around the area.

But as the pen emptied out, something suddenly struck Ryoga. In the back, hidden among his taller comrades was someone… someone very familiar.

As soon as he caught Ryoga's eye, the smaller man smiled. "You've been lost for quite some time. But I figured you'd find your way here in the nick of time."

"Andreas! You're alive!" Ryoga said crushing the other man in joy. He let go and then threw a few slaps on his back.

"Not for long at this rate," Andreas replied, trying to recover from the greeting.

"Have you seen anyone else?"

Andreas nodded. "There were a lot of people. But they just broke up one of the pens, moved us all around."

"…brown hair? Sure I've seen her," one of the barbarians was saying. "Kind of hard to miss since she was the only girl."

Ryoga's head snapped around and caught Ranma's eye. The paladin nodded. It was Ukyo and she was still alive. 

Ryoga turned back to Andreas but the little barbarian was next to the portal. "Try not to get lost this time. I'll see you back home where I have two swords that are just itching to get embedded in demon skin."

* * *

Ukyo frowned at the lock on the gate and then at the guards at the door. She was still tired from the forced march to this new pen but she should have been glad that she was alive. Too many of her penmates had not moved but rather were sent into one of the portals of Hell.

In fact, she would have been glad, if she didn't know the reason they were keeping her alive. Killing the Overseer apparently meant that normal demon food was not good enough of a punishment. She was going to get the joy of meeting the head demon himself.

Good, she had told her captors. I'll make sure to tell him exactly how we killed his two brothers.

Which turned out not to be the smartest thing to say, she thought, lightly touching her mangled side. Alive apparently did not include unharmed. The barbarians had helped her, though, bandaged her side and helping her stay up during the march.

That's why she was determined to get them out. Even though her fate was pretty much sealed, she wasn't going to let them turn up as demon food. But that lock was more then she could handle. Playing sick probably didn't matter much to the guards. And well… they were the undead so appealing to their sexuality wasn't going to work either.

Ukyo sighed and leaned against the side of the wall. She shouldn't even be alive to have to worry about this. But leave it her luck to not get killed with the Overseer. Now, she actually had time to worry. 

She worried about the barbarians, of course. But she worried more about her comrades. Did they even know she was alive? Did they even care? She could only hope that what she had done had given them the chance to keep fighting.

Suddenly there was an explosion and Ukyo heard a battle cry. The area outside of the pen erupted into a sea of fire, arrows and axes. Ukyo pressed against the grate, looking out as the demon forces were slowly decimated. And then the smoke began to clear and there were people walking towards them. The barbarians were cheering and Ukyo found herself biting her lip to keep the emotions in.

Ryoga walked up, axe in hand and looked at her angrily. "Do you remember in Hell, when I said when someone is in trouble, we don't just sit around and cry about it. That we figured out how to help them and then we helped them."

Ukyo nodded slightly. "Of course… it's why… it's the only thing…"

"Sacrificing yourself is not following that advice," he interrupted, smashing the lock with his axe. "It didn't help us at all, so never try it again."

Ukyo smiled slightly, knowing he was lying. Akane and Shampoo suddenly enveloped her in a hug. She tried not to protest too much as she felt the crunching of her broken ribs but they seemed to sense the injury and loosened their grips a bit.

She looked over at Ranma. "What Ryoga said," he managed to get out, before joining the group hug. "Come on Ryoga… join the love."

"Shut up, Ranma," Ryoga said before Akane grabbed his arm and pulled him to the group.

"We're together again," she said with a smile. "We're back as a group."

"Will stay that way," Shampoo said firmly. "No more fighting with friends," she said to Ranma and he nodded slowly.

"No more not working as a group," Akane said.

"No more bad grammar!" Ranma said with a smile that earned him a scowl from Akane. 

"Baka!" Akane said. "Like you even know what grammar is."

"Hey," Ukyo said suddenly. "No more nosebleeds!" she said looking at Ryoga. And the little gears in Ryoga's head turned and calculated that this time there were three beautiful half-dressed women clutching him.

"Crap," he said, stepping backwards to gain his balance as his nose began to ache. The group laughed.

"I'm glad to see we're back together," Genma said rejoining them. "I found the next pen. It's about three kilometers to the north. If we're lucky, we can still catch them by surprise."

"Good," Ranma said. "Ukyo, go back to town to get healed. Shampoo, scout ahead, give us a count on demons. Akane, we'll need you to cast some fire walls from the back and re-enchant the weapons. Ryoga… dude, just do the whole blender routine and we'll be fine. Wait for my signal and we'll attack. Okay?"

The group nodded and Akane stuck his hand out. Ukyo's quickly followed suit, then Shampoo, Ryoga, and Genma. Ranma looked at them with a smile before putting his hand of top. 

No more questions. They were going to fight as a group. And they were going to win.


	28. Act 5, Quest 3 : Prison of Ice

Author's note: Thanks again for the reviews. A lot of you have been here since day one or at least for the past couple of months as I struggle to end this story. I really appreciate the support ^_^ and I'm planning something.errrr. special for some of you.  
  
Thanks again to Another Duck for the beta-read. Poor guy was trying to do it on no sleep. mhmmm. sleep, that was a nice thing I used to do several months ago.  
  
And yes. ummm. the portal thing. You really need to play a multiplayer game to understand what that is about. Needless to say, there is a lot of Etiquette in the D2 world that you need to learn. Like take for example this one time where I cast a town portal (short keyed as a right click on the mouse) for someone who had just died, went off to battle and forgot to switch back to casting spell and not town portals and the poor SOB come through completely armorless/weaponless and was mauled in five seconds.  
  
Etiquette people. very important in multiplayer RPGs.  
  
Act 5, Quest 3 : Prison of Ice  
  
"So things are back to normal?"  
  
Akane nodded slightly. "As normal as they can be," she replied, looking at Kasumi. "Ranma is off trying to learn more techniques from the master Paladin. Ukyo is resting because of her wounds. Shampoo is trying to improve her bow skills right next to where Mousse is. And Ryoga."  
  
"I'LL KILL HIM!!"  
  
Akane stood up. "Ryoga is normal too. But I better go stop him before he kills someone."  
  
"Oh my," Kasumi said softly, watching Akane run down the stairs.  
  
Akane wasn't alone for too long. Shampoo and Ranma apparently had the same idea as she did. Ryoga was back to normal. but normal for him still verged on homicidal in some case.  
  
"Ryoga, calm down," Ukyo said, grabbing him by the sleeve.  
  
"Not a chance," he said, shaking her off. He stopped short, seeing the rest of the group appearing.  
  
"Let's just talk about this," Ranma said, holding up his hands.  
  
And much to their relief, Ryoga sighed and nodded. "Talk. let's talk indeed." He picked up his axe.  
  
"Talk Ryoga," Akane repeated, watching the grip on his axe tightened.  
  
"Akari." he started.  
  
"The Chieftain's daughter?" Akane asked.  
  
Ryoga nodded. "That bastard said she went away, but."  
  
"Which bastard?" Shampoo said.  
  
"Gosunkugi," Ranma said, realizing what was going on. "She didn't go away did she?"  
  
Ryoga shook his head. "One of the barbarians we saved said that they saw him conversing with the demons. The pen was scheduled for extermination so that creep thought he could just strut around, 'payback for all those years of teasing' he said."  
  
"But how do you know that he has something to do with Akari leaving?" Akane asked.  
  
Ryoga looked over with a frown. "Because he told the demons that he'd have control over the Barbarians as soon. He just need to get rid of me, since he already took care of her." The grip on his weapon tightened even further. "If he hurt her."  
  
"We'll find her," Ukyo said with a reassuring grip on his arm.  
  
Ryoga nodded, twitching his nose slightly. "Sure. only we have no idea where to look."  
  
"I think I might know," Genma said walking up towards the group.  
  
"What?" Ranma said, looking at his father with apprehension.  
  
"The demons keep Barbarians in the ice caves too," Genma continued. "You've already cleared out all the pens outside the mountain. If there's any place she'll be, it'll be in the ice caves."  
  
"But you already cleaned out the mountain," Ryoga said, suddenly growing a bit pale.  
  
"Just one cave. Nothing was alive in there boy," Genma replied. "If she was there, it was too late anyway. But if she were in another cave."  
  
"We'll split up," Ranma said. "Three groups and search every last inch of the mountain. Shampoo and Ryoga, me and Akane and Pop'll take the last one alone."  
  
"Oh no you don't," Ukyo said. "I'm coming too."  
  
"But Ukyo." Ranma said.  
  
"I'm fine. All that's left is scars and the burning desire to kill things. a lot of things," she said with a smile. "I know I'm ready."  
  
Ranma smiled. "Okay, me and Akane, Ryoga and Ukyo, Pop and Shampoo. Okay?"  
  
Ukyo sighed and looked over at Ryoga. "See, I told you they always stick us together."  
  
* * *  
  
The snow crunched under Akane's boot and she looked up with apprehension at the mountain. She let Warmth flow out of her with a frown. She was using up more mana on this part of the journey then she was used to.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
Akane turned and nodded back at Ranma. "Yeah, just got a bit cold," she said.  
  
"Do you want to stop?"  
  
Akane balked and looked at him. "Stop that."  
  
"Stop what?"  
  
"Being nice," she said. "It's freaking me out."  
  
Ranma's eyebrow twitched. "What the hell does that mean?"  
  
"Ever since we got back from freeing the barbarians you've had manners and acted civilized and."  
  
"I thought we decided no fighting," he said, angrily.  
  
"Yeah but. it's just not the same. I mean, I'm used to fighting with you. The Ranma you are right now, it's not the Ranma that I." Akane trailed off and bit her lip. She was not going to say that out loud.  
  
"The Ranma you what?" he said looking at her. But she shook her head. "Come on! Tell me!" he said, bobbing around her to get her to talk.  
  
"Leave me alone!!"  
  
The weak fireball came out of her hands and Ranma ducked, knowing it couldn't really hurt him but not wanting to get singed. Of course, the fireball did have the unfortunate side effect of melting the snow above him.  
  
"Ha!" he said triumphantly, only to have a wave of new melted snow (aka cold water) fall on him.  
  
"Crap," Ranma-chan said, watching the armor suddenly grow around her. "Great move Akane!" the decisively female voice yelled.  
  
"Sorry!" Akane replied. "I didn't mean to!!"  
  
"Like bull you didn't!" she cried back. "How am I supposed to fight like this!! My armor doesn't even fit!!"  
  
"Wait, I know," Akane said, pulling out an old cloak from her backpack. "You can just use it to stuff in the gaps," she said, shoving in between Ranma-chan's chest and the armor.  
  
Now, Ranma could have stayed quiet. He could have realized the inherent danger in what he was about to say. But, even in girl form, Ranma's mouth to brain speed was a bit on the slow side. So.  
  
"Feh, it figures you'd know how to do this," she said, watching Akane work. "What with armor being made for girls with bigger."  
  
Ah. there is it. The sudden realization by his brain that he just said something very stupid that was likely to get him very hurt. And of course, it was.  
  
"RANMA NO BAKA!!!"  
  
Too late.  
  
* * *  
  
"Did Panda-man hear that?" Shampoo asked, looking up at the sky.  
  
"No," Genma said, moving quickly, realizing that the infamous Saotome foot in mouth gene had probably just struck again.  
  
"Sound like violent magic girl get angry," Shampoo said.  
  
"Uh huh," Genma said, moving towards the door and into the ice cave.  
  
"Shampoo ask Panda-man something," she said. "Need advice on thing."  
  
Genma's mind began to swirl. Okay, he could just ignore her but images of various demons being pummeled by the Amazon flashed through his head. And after years of beatings, at least Genma knew to keep his mouth shut until his brain caught up.  
  
"What do you need?" he asked.  
  
"Panda-man is Druid," Shampoo said. "Know how elements work."  
  
Genma paused and tried to translate the broken words. "You mean, Elements. like Fire and Lightning."  
  
"Those," Shampoo said, stepping over a pile of icicles.  
  
"What about them?" Genma said, already feeling a headache forming.  
  
"Need to learn how to use them," Shampoo said firmly.  
  
Genma stopped in his tracks. Oh there was no answer to this. Saying no would mean he'd have a very pissed off Amazon on his hands. Saying yes would mean he'd have a very pissed off Amazon on his hands since he had no idea how to teach her how to use Elemental magic. But he would never admit to not knowing how to do something.  
  
"I can't teach you," he said, puffing up his chest. "Druid law prohibits teaching outsiders. Besides, you would need to reach the same level of camaraderie that I have with Nature to."  
  
"Stupid Panda-man not know how to teach," Shampoo said, passing him by.  
  
"What? I didn't say that," Genma protested, following her.  
  
"Stupid Panda-man not have any connection to Nature," Shampoo said.  
  
"Now wait a minute," Genma said, getting angry. "I am a Master level Druid. I couldn't have reached it."  
  
"Panda-man must have lied," Shampoo sighed. "Tricked Druids into making master."  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"Like trick everyone else," Shampoo said but there was a firm grip on her arm.  
  
"Listen here," Genma said. "I may not be an honest man." Shampoo snorted. ".but the one thing I would never lie about is my abilities. You want to learn," he said, "then I'll teach you."  
  
Shampoo smiled. She knew Genma probably had no idea of how to teach her. But Shampoo also knew that his pride was larger then the mountain. So he'd probably come up with something somewhat useful.  
  
* * *  
  
"So Akari was your friend growing up," Ukyo asked, taking Ryoga's arm as he pulled her up.  
  
"Something like that," he said.  
  
Ukyo paused. "She was your fiancée, wasn't she?" Ryoga nodded slowly. "What happened?"  
  
"I got lost," Ryoga said, claming up.  
  
"Wait a minute. did you really get lost?" Ukyo asked.  
  
"Yeah, you know the whole no sense of."  
  
"Bull!" Ukyo said suddenly. "You ran away, didn't you?" She paused. "Why?"  
  
Ryoga shook his head. "It's not important anymore," he said.  
  
"Ryo." she trailed off, as he brought his hand up. She frowned and looked at where he was pointing.  
  
There were more bodies but this time. some of them were still moving. Ukyo fought down the urge to empty her stomach and turned to Ryoga.  
  
"Should we."  
  
"Akari," Ryoga said, suddenly catching sight of something in the distance. He stood up but Ukyo caught him.  
  
"Wait, don't you remember the plan?" Ukyo asked. Ryoga paused, tensing and looking at the figure in the ice that was so close. "If it's her and she's in there. how are you going to get her out? Please Ryoga."  
  
Ryoga nodded and they fell back, retracing their steps to the two blaring blue portals. A second later in town, they split with Ryoga heading towards the pair of portals belonging to Ranma and Akane while Ukyo head off to meet Genma and Shampoo.  
  
A gentle snow started to fall in the center of town, passing through the six portals and landing softly on the ground. A second later, Ukyo and Shampoo came out of one portal while Genma came out of the other.  
  
"So think it Akari?" Shampoo asked.  
  
Ukyo nodded. "Yeah, at least Ryoga thought it was."  
  
Shampoo nodded and looked over at the other two portals. "So where they are?"  
  
Ukyo frowned. "I'll go get them." She walked across and walked into one of the portals just as Ryoga, Akane and Ranma came out.  
  
"Ukyo go look for you," Shampoo said.  
  
"Damn," Ranma-chan said, turning and walking back through a portal.  
  
"No wait! Ranma!!" Akane called. The portal closed behind him and Akane cursed. "That stupid idiot never listens. How many times do I have to explain this?"  
  
"Shampoo still no understand why need so many portals," Shampoo said.  
  
"It's so they don't close each time we come back to town and then leave again," Akane said, trying not to lose her temper. "We won't waste scrolls this way."  
  
Shampoo's eyebrow raised. "So why Akane no go through portal and tell Ranma to cast new one?"  
  
"Because then my portal will close and I'll have to use another scroll! Don't you listen?"  
  
"Listen," Shampoo replied, "but still no understand." Without another word, she walked into the portal and a second later, two new ones sprung up and Shampoo came out of one while Ranma-chan and Ukyo came out of the other.  
  
"Why did you cast another portal?" Akane asked as soon as they were clear.  
  
"Shampoo told me too!" Ranma-chan said.  
  
"Then Shampoo cast portal so no close when come back," Shampoo said. Akane's eye twitched but Ryoga held up his hands.  
  
"Enough," he cried. "I'm getting a headache listening to you. Besides, we need to figure out a way to get Akari free. It looked like she was trapped in a block of ice."  
  
"I think I might know," Kasumi said, joining the group.  
  
"Really?" Ryoga said, somewhat surprised at her entrance.  
  
"Oh yes. I am a ice-based sorceress so I have a few ideas of how to melt ice."  
  
"That's great onee-chan!" Akane said. "What do you need to do?"  
  
"It's a special potion but. oh dear, I was going to make dinner. Akane, will you cook the soup instead?"  
  
Akane's face lit up. "Sure!"  
  
"Wonderful," Kasumi said. "It'll give us something to look forward to when we get back."  
  
But the rest of the group's reaction didn't quite fit what Kasumi was saying.  
  
* * *  
  
"Kasumi.you could have stayed behind you know," Akane said, watching her sister move with the group.  
  
"But I wanted to come," Kasumi said with a smile. Besides, she thought to herself, after Akane had almost Fireballed everyone when Ryoga and Ukyo accidentally closed their portals, she realized it was a really good idea to tag along.  
  
"Now, everyone stay still," Kasumi said.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ukyo said looking around.  
  
"Well, Ryoga said that there were monsters around," Kasumi replied. "So I thought you might need this."  
  
A wand appeared her hand and the air around Kasumi suddenly started to solidify into ice crystals. The rest of the group felt it too and suddenly a cloud of ice surrounded them.  
  
"What's this?" Ryoga said.  
  
"Chilling Armor," Kasumi smiled. "I thought it might be a good idea."  
  
"Nice," Ranma said looking around himself. "Okay, me and Akane'll hit them in the front."  
  
"Wait, wait," Ukyo said holding up her hands. "Let me guess. Ryoga and me take the left. Shampoo and Genma take the right."  
  
"Yeah," Ranma said. "That's the gist of it."  
  
"Thought so," Ukyo said, grabbing Ryoga. "Come on, pig boy it's you and me again."  
  
"Hey!" Ryoga protested. Shampoo sighed as she followed Genma to the right.  
  
"Kasumi," Ranma said, "I think you should just stay behind and wait until we've killed all the monsters. Then you can use the potion to free Akari."  
  
"Okay," Kasumi said with a smile.  
  
Ranma nodded at Akane and they took off, heading towards the front of the pack of monsters. He looked over at Akane and she nodded. He shot a small blast into the air and the three groups attacked simultaneously.  
  
It should have been a normal battle but something was wrong. And it wasn't the fact that for some reason Shampoo was suddenly shooting off multiple arrows that hit their targets and exploded into a see of flame (when did she learn Immolating?). Or that Genma was Hurricaning most of the demons back into Hell. It wasn't the fact that Ukyo, her shadow and Ryoga were acting like a blender and chopping anything near them into mincemeat.  
  
It was the fact that everything around Akane and Ranma were dying before they even got close. Was the armor casting Ice Bolt every time they got close? Well, yeah but that didn't explain the multiple shots that were coming from behind them.  
  
"Onee-chan!" Akane cried as Kasumi approached them. "I thought we said to stay back!"  
  
"I'm sorry Akane," Kasumi said firmly, "but it was just too dangerous to let my little sister stay out here by herself."  
  
"Kasumi." Ranma said, looking at her, with a bit of confusion. "What is that over your head?"  
  
Kasumi looked up at the little circle above her head. "Oh that. that's my pulsating orb of frozen death," she said with a smile. "Isn't it so nice?"  
  
Ranma and Akane looked at each other with apprehension in their eyes. After a while, Akane could only shrug. That was Kasumi after all.  
  
"Everyone okay?" Ranma called out, realizing all the demons were dead. There were a few calls of agreement before everyone emerged and walked towards the center of the room.  
  
Ryoga had been right. There, incased in ice, was a young woman. Her garb was that of a barbarian woman and her long dark hair was wrapped around her body like a shawl. He took a step forward but pulled back.  
  
"It's really cold," he said.  
  
Akane frowned and tried to approach the figure. She got a few steps before she realized she was constantly recasting Warmth to stave off the cold. "I can't do it," she said, backing off.  
  
"The Ice Cage is creating a shield around it," Kasumi said with a small nod. "We can't walk up to it to use the potion."  
  
"Give potion to Shampoo," the Amazon said. Kasumi handed over the vial to Shampoo. She tied it to an arrow and pulled back the bowstring, letting the arrow fly towards the ice.  
  
The arrow began to slow, as if fighting against the icy shield around the body. But the arrow started to burn and eventually sailed over the head of the woman, smashing the vial against the top of the icicle. The liquid simmered and boiled, slowly eating away at the ice.  
  
"That's some potion," Ranma said.  
  
"Oh it's not the potion," Kasumi said with a smile. The group looked at her with confusion. "It's Akane's soup. When we were younger, it was the only thing I could find to help 'fix' some of my mis-castings."  
  
"What?" Akane cried.  
  
But before anymore could answer, the Ice Cage cracked and Akari fell forward. Ryoga rushed up and caught her before she hit the ground and pulled her away. She mumbled a bit incoherently as her eyes tried to register what was happening.  
  
"It's okay, Akari," Ryoga said. "You'll be fine."  
  
"Ry. Ryoga," she said softly. "I knew you'd come."  
  
The Barbarian turned two shades of red before pulling out a town portal scroll and bringing them back town.  
  
* * *  
  
"Oi, Ukyo!"  
  
Ukyo looked up from the fire as Ranma and Akane approached. "Hey," the assassin said with a smile. "How's Akari?"  
  
"Good," Akane said. "Tofu was looking after her only. Ranma, did you notice how he kind of gets stupid around Kasumi?"  
  
Ranma looked at Akane as if she just asked a real dumb question. He held up his right hand, which had been bandaged and written all over. Ukyo's eyebrows furrowed. She didn't remember Ran-chan getting hurt during. oh.  
  
"Should you have left Akari alone with him?" Ukyo asked.  
  
Akane nodded. "It'll be fine. Ryoga took Kasumi away and Tofu went into full doctor mode again. She should be fine."  
  
Ukyo nodded. "How's Ryoga doing?"  
  
Akane and Ranma exchanged a look. "He's fine," Akane asked. "Why do you."  
  
"I think," Ukyo said suddenly, "I think Ryoga didn't get lost at all. I think he ran away. And I think Akari was part of the reason."  
  
"Why do."  
  
Ranma trailed off as his eyes shot open. He looked at Akane and Ukyo and they nodded. They had felt it too. The ground shook again and a couple of wood blocks fell from the fire, sending sparks into the snows. A few seconds later, the bells began to ring and the town burst into a hive of activity. The trio ran towards the main wall, seeing Shampoo already up at top, conversing with the troops there.  
  
"Shampoo!" Ranma called up.  
  
Shampoo looked down, worry etched on her face. "See lots of figures on horizon."  
  
Akane's heart clenched. The demon army? Were they staging a last attack on Harrogarth?  
  
The trio ran up the ladder and onto the ramparts. They followed Shampoo's gaze and frowned along with her. She was right, on the horizon through the haze of snow and smoke, they could make out figures. A lot of them. Suddenly, Shampoo pulled out her bow and knocked an arrow, followed quickly by a few of the troops.  
  
"What's wrong?" Ukyo said, watching Akane tense up and pull out her wand.  
  
"Something's coming," Ranma said, pointing to two quick moving forms.  
  
A few seconds later, the figures became clear. Two men on horses charged the fortress, each with flags streaming off the back of their mounts. They were shouting something but the symbols on their flags told the people of Harrogarth what they needed to know.  
  
The Army of Light had arrived. And soon, so would the final battle. 


	29. Act 5, Quest 4 : Betrayal of Harrogath

****

Author's note: 

It's coming down to the end folks… kind of scary. I might actually finish this story before a year passes ^_^ This one is a long one… don't quite know how it happened since I was struggling with it due to the dreaded Writer's Block…

Another Duck - thanks again for the pre-read

Lian - it was very amusing to watch you read through this. I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Flameraven - you're not the only one to ask who Ryoga ends up with but I will answer you as I answered AD… Ryoga will get his heart's desire.

Emperor Zhang - Flayers are my targets of choice… I still think they got off easy in this story.

May and Gohan - Thanks for the notes. Here's the next one. Enjoy ^_^

***

**__**

Act 5, Quest 4 : Betrayal of Harrogath

A light snow had fallen again and from the towers that surrounded the city, it looked like a rolling plain of snow dunes. In a matter of hours, a city of tents had sprung up in front of the walls of Harrogath. The thousands of soldiers milled about, anxious for the coming battle, leaving tiny imprints in the snow until well-worn paths zigzagged between the tents.

Ranma stepped off the ramparts and headed back towards the center of the town where the rest of his group was sitting. Their job, it appeared, was done. With the Army of Light here, they had the choice of melding into the army as foot soldiers, or waiting it out here in Harrogath.

So far, no one really liked either of those options.

"Oi, Ranma," Ryoga called out, as he fell into step with the other boy. "Can you get the rest of the group? Akari says she has something to say."

"Sure," Ranma said, watching the lost boy nod and run back towards the healer's hut. Ranma thought about Ukyo's words.

__

"I think Ryoga didn't get lost at all. I think he ran away. And I think Akari was part of the reason."

He had been acting differently since they got Akari back but… he just couldn't understand why Ryoga would run away from home over a girl.

"Ne, Ranma?"

Ranma blinked and turned to find Akane staring at him. "What?"

"You just looked like you were lost in thought," she said.

He shook his head, looking at the rest of the group. Shampoo and Ukyo was sitting by the fire, poking it with stick. Genma was holding a mug and drinking from it. "Ryoga said to go see Akari."

"Did he say why?" Ukyo asked but Ranma could only offer her a shrug.

A few minutes later, they were assembled around Akari's bed with Kasumi slowly walking around, straightening things up.

"I would have said something sooner but," Akari started, trailing off as she looked out the window. "I guess I know it's my fault in some ways. Gosunkugi… I let him get away with it." 

"Get away with what?" Akane asked.

Akari paused and took in a deep breath. The door to her room opened and Tofu walked in, moving towards the bed to check on her. He suddenly caught wind of Kasumi's humming and his eyeglasses promptly fogged up.

"We were all so distraught after the first defeat," Akari said sadly. "I guess I was willing to listen to anything. Gosunkugi said that we should just give in to the demon army, that they would spare the rest of us. And I know it didn't make any sense… but I listened and I almost agreed."

Akane and Ukyo leaned forward, intent on the rest of the story. Ranma, in the meantime was being wrapped in bandages again by a dazed Tofu.

"What did he want?" Ryoga asked.

"The most treasured possession of my family, the Ancient Relic," she said and Ryoga slowly leaned away as he realized what it meant.

"The Ancient what?" Akane asked.

"It's an artifact," Akari said, "which allows the bearer to pass to our most hallowed place, the summit of Mt. Arreat."

"What's there?" Ukyo asked.

"There are stories," Akari sighed, "but no one has ever made it to verify them. It is said that at the peak is a stone of such immense power, it will change the world forever. It is guarded by three Guardians and the relic… it should let whoever possess it get by them without a fight."

"Well that can't be… WOULD YOU CUT THAT OUT?" 

The group turned to Ranma, finding him in a half mummy state, fuming at Tofu.

"Ah, ah, sorry Akane-chan," he said, quickly moving away from Ranma and to a bedpost.

Akari watched him with confusion before shaking her head. "We must retrieve the relic before Gosunkugi hands it over to the demon lord." She tried to stand up but luckily Akane had managed to get Kasumi out of the room.

Suddenly Tofu snapped out of his delirium and pushed her back into the bed. "You are not going anywhere," he said firmly.

"But…"

"Just stay here Akari," Ryoga said. "Let us deal with it."

Akari turned to the rest of the group. "I can't ask the rest of you…"

"Is all right," Shampoo said with a firm nod. "No have thing to do anyway."

"She's right," Ukyo said with a smile. 

"Leave it us," Akane added, with a thumbs up. 

"Yeah, we'll get back your relic," Ranma said. "Right pops?" But of course, by then, Genma had used the cold liquid in his mug to transform into a panda. "POP!" Ranma called out.

"Forget him," Akane said walking over and giving him a push with her foot. "We can do this ourselves… uh… how do we get to Gosunkugi?"

"I can still feel the relic… it's somewhere nearby," Akari said softly. She closed her eyes and a hush fell over the room. A deep red glow starts to form around the bed and snaked upwards into Akari's open hands. It grew into a ball, twisting and swirling until her eyes snapped open. The ball moved forward and stretched out into an oval, becoming a portal.

"Go now!" she said. "I can't hold it for much longer."

And without another word, the group stumbled through the portal.

***

"I have a bad feeling about this."

Ranma looked over at Ukyo with a face that said all he needed to without uttering a word. Well, duh.

"This is really creepy," Akane whispered, clutching her arms together tightly.

And creepy was the word. Billowing smoke poured over the steps like a gray carpet. Dead vines twirled around decaying stone columns that were dotted with straw dolls hammered into them.

The group slowly unsheathed their weapons. Ranma looked at them and made a few motions before the group split in two. They rounded either side and slowly sought to out ambush the ambush. 

Akane and Shampoo slowly walked behind Ranma, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious. They slowly came around the side of the building when Ranma stopped short, causing a minor pile up behind him.

He shushed them as the two girls tried to regain their composure. Pointing he motioned to the swirling fog and motioned low to the ground. Slowly, the trio slid forward, preparing for the impending…

"NOW!"

There was a flash of lightning, an arc of fire and a blast of cold air. As soon as the assorted elements had wafted away, Shampoo, Akane and Ukyo found themselves staring at a rather humorous image.

Poor Ryoga had managed to walk right into Akane's fireball while Ranma had stepped right into Ukyo's lightning trap. As if being fried was enough, Shampoo's newly learned Freezing had managed to freeze them in place.

"Eeew…" Shampoo said poking the two her bow.

"Anyone else have a feeling that once they melt, we are royally screwed?" Ukyo asked.

"We didn't do it on purpose," Akane said, with her on her hips. "With all the smoke, how were we supposed to…"

"Akane give Shampoo fireball," Shampoo said holding up an arrow.

"Oh sure," Akane said, getting the idea. The arrow caught fire and Shampoo held it next to the boys, letting the ice melt. Akane's attention was suddenly diverted. "Wait, I think I see a sign on the door."

Ukyo meanwhile was doing some quick math in her head and suddenly realized. "Actually, that might no be such a good…"

Too late. A female Ranma and a pissed off pig stumbled around.

"Oh… what happened? Where am I?" Ranma-chan said, rolling about and eventually landing an armored foot on the little black pig. 

"P-chan!" Akane cried suddenly coming back to the group. "How did you get here? And where's Ryoga?" There was a collective mental slap to the forehead as the group realized that for whatever reason, Akane was never going to make the connection between pig and boy. 

"He's scouting around," Ukyo said quickly, as Akane picked up P-chan and held her to her chest. Ranma-chan glowered and looked ready to kill the little black piglet.

"What sign say?" Shampoo asked quickly, trying to stop the impending brawl before it started.

"I couldn't make it out," Akane said, pointing to the sign carved into the wall.

"Let me see," Ukyo said walking up quickly and studying the lettering. "Hmmm… I think I can make out some of it… Level One, Hall of Anguish."

"Hall of WHAT?" Shampoo cried. "That no sound good."

"Shh… listen…" Ukyo said, moving to the open door. "Do you hear that?"

The fighting stopped for a moment and the group slowly lined up behind her, arching their ear down into the dark passageway below them. There were faint words floating up from below. So concentrated were they on what was being said below, no one realized the small horde of demons approaching them from behind.

"I think I hear someone crying," Akane said.

"No, is singing," Shampoo added.

"It sounds like…" Ukyo started.

"Uh… guys…" Ranma-chan said. "Anyway else feel it got really warm in here suddenly?" 

Very slowly, the quartet of girls turned away from the door. The demons behind them yelled a battle cry. The girls screamed in surprise. Ranma-chan took a step backwards and fell into Ukyo who fell into Shampoo who pushed into Akane and sent her off the top step. With a little yelp, she stretched forward and grabbed onto Shampoo and who grabbed onto Ukyo and well you get the idea.

Needless to say, the four girls and one pig came tumbling down the steps and into the afore mentioned Hall of Anguish. The sounds were louder now and the group clinched together, looking around for any sign of danger.

A specter floated down from the ceiling, examining the little group. "You dare enter the Halls of Anguish? No man may pass here lest he has experienced true anguish."

The quartet looked at each other. "Okay…" Ranma-chan said, shifting in the loose armor. "Anguish… let's see…"

"Well, I had to leave my home to travel around the world with a egotistical idiot and his father," Akane started, "and then my hometown was…"

"Oi!" Ranma-chan protested. "Now hold on a damn minute. What the hell do you mean egotistical idiot? You want anguish, try being engaged to her!"

"WHAT??"

"This is not anguish," the specter said. "Just stubbornness." It turned to Shampoo.

The purple haired girl frowned. "Shampoo kicked out of tribe because try to help man who die saving her. Found man in Hell but was possessed by demon and Shampoo can not help."

The specter paused. "Good, if you ignore the complete lack of grammar. Tragic but… there is no anguish in your eyes, just determination," the specter said turning to Ukyo.

"Well, my mother set things up so I would become an assassin and took me away from my father, who later died alone."

"That is anguish for him then," the specter said as it eyed the group. "Well then, you cannot pass and will die here." The group drew its weapons and prepared for a fight but suddenly a little black ball pushed its way through.

Ryoga looked up at the specter who had fixed two ghostly eyes on him. And then he began to relate his own story. How he had run away from home and then because of a bad sense of direction had not been able to return until now. How in his travels he had been cursed to turn into a pig when cold water was dumped on him. How he had fallen in love with one girl but she never saw him as anything more than a pet. And how if she knew her pet and her friend were one in the same, she'd hate him forever. He told about the endless wandering, the journey home and finding out everything he knew had been destroyed by the demon army. His friends were missing and his parents were dead. His whole life was anguish.

It was a moving story, one that would have made stone gargoyles cry. Well, at least one that would forced the specter to let them pass. The only problem was, Ryoga was still in pig mode. Which meant his eloquent story had come out in a series of oinks and grunts.

"Come again?" the specter said as soon as he was done.

The realization that he couldn't speak suddenly hit Ryoga and the little pig wailed, adding more anguish to his aura. The specter balked and fell back, feeling the aura growing again until it finally started to burn away at the ghost. The specter screamed in pain and vanished into the air. There was a bit of silence as the four girls resheathed their weapons.

"Man," Ranma-chan said, "that should feel good, winning without a fight… only it doesn't"

"Poor P-chan, what happened to you?" Akane said, sweeping the little pig in her arms. "I'm never going to let you wander away again."

And a second later, the little pig was swept up and crushed in a deep hug from Akane. Ranma-chan looked over with a frown that steadily deepened. That little… 

Well, Ranma-chan had every right to be upset… or jealous. After all, Ryoga was currently being pressed into the bosom of her fiancée. And if she hadn't known any better, Ranma-chan could have sworn he was smiling, somewhere beneath the growing puddle of blood.

"Anguish my foot," she said to herself.

***

"Level Two, Halls of Pain… of for the love of… WHO NAMED THESE?" Ukyo said, smashing the sign with her fist.

"So what happens now?" Ranma-chan said looking around.

"Hello, I am the specter of pain," a ghost said appearing from the ceiling.

"Well, that's real original," Ranma-chan snapped, pulling out her sword. "So now we got to tell you about how we feel pain."

"No," the specter said floating to the ground and materializing into a solid form. "You must show me how much pain you can create."

Silence.

"Ah…" the specter said. "Is there a…"

"Wait," Ukyo said, holding up her hands. "Let me get this straight, you want us to beat you up?"

"Right," the specter said. 

The four girls looked at each other and smiled devilishly as they pulled out their weapons.

"You know," the specter said, "I believe I see a flaw in my master's design…"

The girls yelled and took off running. The specter finally decided his master was crazy and took off, running down the hall. Ukyo was out in the front, preparing a wide range of traps to hurtle in the specter's direction. Shampoo was nocking the first of many arrows and Ranma-chan was pulling out her sword and shifting it around before she felt comfortable with it.

Akane came to a stop and realized she could just cast her spells from here without having to do all this running. She let P-chan down and brought up her wand, ready to cast Hydra to chase down the idiotic ghost.

But just as the last word of the spell was about to leave her lips, a cold hand swept across her mouth and clamped it shut. She struggled for a moment before she succumbed to the darkness. 

P-chan squealed in anger and clamped onto Akane's shoe attempting to stop her from being dragged away. But a foot lashed out and kicked the pig away, knocking him into a wall.

Several hallways down, the remaining three girls were having fun pounding the specter into the ground.

"YOU PASS! YOU PASS!" it cried before finally evaporating into air.

"Man," Ranma-chan said, "if only every fight went that well." She paused and looked around. "Oi… where's Akane?"

The other two girls looked around. "Maybe Akane no keep up," Shampoo offered.

"Probably," Ranma-chan said unhappily heading back to where they had first met the ghost. "She can never keep up."

As they rounded the last corner, annoyance turned to concern. P-chan was just standing up and trying to shake off being hit into the wall. Ranma-chan got there first, picking up the little pig and shaking it.

"Where's Akane?" she cried, making the piglet only more dizzy with all the shaking.

"Ran-chan," Ukyo said, putting a hand on her shoulder, "let Ryoga catch his breath." Ranma-chan stopped and a few seconds later, P-chan finally regained some semblance of calm.

That was quickly shattered as the little piglet began squirming in Ranma-chan's grip, desperately trying to get away. 

"What happened to Akane?" Ranma-chan demanded, holding the piglet down. Ryoga tried to explain but all that came out where grunt and oinks again.

"RANMA!"

The group looked up at the far off cry. "Akane," Ranma-chan said, promptly dropping Ryoga and heading off towards the source of the cry.

The rest of the group quickly followed, trying to trace the occasional cry of help back to its source. It eventually led them to another set of stairs. After the first few steps, the staircase plunged into darkness.

"Is there a sign?" Ranma-chan asked. "We need to know so we're prepared for whatever's down there."

Ukyo nodded at him, already reading the sign. She traced her fingers over it a couple of time, confusion falling over her face.

"What?" Shampoo asked, looking over the assassin's shoulder.

"It says, Level Three, Halls of Vaught," Ukyo replied.

"What the hell is a Vaught?" Ranma-chan asked.

"I have no idea…"

"Is big monster? Stupid ghost?" Shampoo asked.

"I said I have no idea!" Ukyo said.

"RANMA!"

"Forget this," Ranma-chan said, hearing Akane's cry again. "We'll just deal with this Vaught thing when it shows up."

***

By the time the small group had reached the main chamber in the Halls of Vaught they had come to two conclusions. One was that there was no Vaught here, at least none had challenged their actions. Second was that for some reason, this hall above all the dungeons they had visited, had the prettiest paintings on the walls.

Not that they were taking in the scenery too much. Akane's cries had stopped the moment they got to the end of the stairs and without her voice to lead them, they were running through most of the hallways trying to find where she was.

The large chamber in the center of the Halls of Vaught was just a beautiful as the rest of the dungeon. Hieroglyphics dotted the wall, telling an epic story of a war between the gods and the demons. Red velvet hung from the ceilings and a large dais with cryptic symbols was in the middle of the room. And there, strapped to a chair was Akane, her head sunk forward. Ranma-chan ran up first.

"Akane are you…"

She pulled back quickly, seeing the look on Akane's face. Her eyes were hollow, her cheekbones pushed out of the skin. Her garb hung loosely around her body. It looked like someone had sucked the life out of her.

"A… Akane?" Ranma-chan asked slowly.

The figure in the chair smiled. "Ah, Ranma, my love, how I have waited for…"

"RANMA, you BAKA! That's not me!" came a voice from somewhere in the room.

Ranma-chan blinked and looked at the figure in the chair. "Well, hell, I didn't need you tell me that," she said.

"How did you figure it out?" the faux-Akane said. "Was it my looks?"

"No," Ranma-chan replied, pulling out his sword, "it was the drivel you just spouted. Akane doesn't ever say things like that. She's too much of a tomboy."

"I HEARD THAT!"

"Now give her back," Ranma-chan said.

But the figure in the chair leapt up and landed on a chandelier on the ceiling. "Too late! You see, I have learned your weakness and now you shall learn what happens when you fight with GOSUNKUGI!" the figure cried, pulling off the Akane costume. He reached forward and pulled a rope, hanging next to him.

"Your weakness is…COLD WATER!" A large splash echoed through the room as Gosunkugi pulled the rope. 

Ranma-chan sputtered as she got drenched to the bone. "You IDIOT! I was already a girl."

Gosunkugi frowned from the chandelier. "That's strange… I thought you would melt or scream in pain or something…"

"Get down here and I'll give you some screams of pain!"

But before Ranma-chan could move, Ukyo had stepped forward and covered her eyes. "Ran-chan, just stay there a second and don't…"

"What the hell! Ukyo let me go!" Ranma-chan said, turning out of her grip and facing her. Ranma-chan stopped, her skin turned pale and she started to shake. "Ca…ca…ca…"

"I told you not to look," Ukyo said, throwing up her hands and causing some of the cold water to hit Ranma-chan. Not that the redhead noticed. She was too concerned with the sudden appearance of neko-Shampoo.

"Ca…ca… ca…CAT!!!" 

Ranma-chan took off, running to the end of the room and knocking down one of the velvet draperies as she did. Akane appeared for a second before getting covering with the falling red fabric. 

Akane's reappearance sent the rest of the group running towards her. Of course, Ranma-chan only saw the cat running towards her and therefore panicked some more, clawing at the stone wall to try to escape.

"Thanks," Akane said, as Ukyo undid the binding. "At least someone here is useful," she said casting a glance over at Ranma-chan. The other girl had stopped moving though and Akane's brow furrowed with worry. "Ra…"

Ranma-chan took off, meowing in anger as it headed straight for Gosunkugi, who was unsuccessfully trying to find a way down off the ceiling. The movement back and forth was like a cat toy so it was no wonder that Ranma-chan seemed intent on taking it down. Gosunkugi got one good look at the nekophobia induced Ranma-chan heading straight towards him before the attack started.

The rest of the group cringed, watching as Ranma-chan attacked. 

"That's going to hurt," Akane said, cringing.

"Oooh… hope he didn't plan on having kids anytime soon," Ukyo cringed, turning away.

"Meow."

"Oink."

"Ah… as much as I don't like this guy," Ukyo said, "maybe we should stop Ran-chan before he does too much damage."

Akane nodded and headed towards the cat fight. "Ranma! Stop that right…" Akane balked suddenly seeing the blur of red heading right for her. A second later she was on her back on the ground, a very content Ranma-chan asleep and purring on her chest. She blushed profusely before realizing everyone was looking at her. Her eyebrow twitched a few times as her fist curled.

"Hang on a sec, Akane," Ukyo called, seeing the familiar playing out in her head. Walking over, Ukyo looked down at the mess that was once Gosunkugi and pulled him up, casting a town portal. Neko-Shampoo and P-chan went through first.

"Okay, go ahead!" Ukyo yelled stepping through the portal.

"HENTAI!" 

***

Gosunkugi hung upside down in the middle of town, still completely dazed from his fight and unable to fight off the town children who had taken to poking him with sticks. Kasumi had shoed them off eventually and pulled the poor guy down, chastising the rest of the group for picking on him.

"So the relic wasn't on him," Genma said, drinking in some of the beer.

"Nope," Ranma replied. 

"I will tell the Generals about this," Genma replied standing up and walking towards the gate and out to the tent city.

Ranma frowned and held up the cloth bag filled with snow to his forehead. Stupid Akane, he thought. Always so damn violent.

"Here." Ranma blinked and looked up, suddenly seeing the girl of his thoughts standing next to him. "It's soup."

He took it from her and eyed it suspiciously. "Did you cook it?"

Akane's eyebrow twitched once but she managed to stay calm. "Kasumi made it," she said. "She said it would help with your headache."

Ranma nodded and started to drink it. Akane reached forward with a stick and began to poke the fire casually, her eyes transfixed on the flames. Looking over, Ranma couldn't help but shake the feeling that she was a bit sad.

"Is everything… okay?" he started.

She looked into the fire and blinked a few times. She paused and tried to find the right words. "What do you think happens now?" she asked.

Ranma put the bowl down and looked into the fire with her. "I don't know. I guess we join the main army and fight with them. Unless you want to stay here… it should be safe…"

Akane shook her head. "No, I don't think any of us could stay behind. It's just… we've been fighting together for so long, I don't know what it'll be like if we weren't all together."

"It'll be…"

"I'm scared," she said suddenly. "It's silly right? I'm a master level Sorceress. I've been facing all these horrible monsters and now I've finally decided to be scared."

"It's not silly."

"Are you scared, Ranma?"

He paused, his face moving through a series of emotions. "Sure," he said. "This is going to be a hard fight, you know."

Akane shook her head and turned away. "I wasn't really scared of the fight," she said. "I was more scared of… well…" Her head sank low and she smiled slightly. "It's stupid, forget it."

"No, wait, what was it?"

She stood up and brushed herself off, a nervous motion as she tried to find the courage to say what she wanted. "I'm scared of losing them… of losing you."

"Akane! Ranma!"

Ranma blinked, trying to taking in her words and the urgency of the cries from across the town.

"Akane…" Ranma started

"The demon army is attacking!!" Ukyo said finally reaching them, Shampoo and Ryoga right behind her. "You can see the dust cloud from all over the mountain."

"Already?" Akane said.

"Is very bad," Shampoo said. "Army of Light ready to fight but… seems like no end to demon horde."

"Then we have to go," Akane said firmly.

"No… wait…" Ranma said.

"What is it?" Ukyo asked, watching him. 

Ranma tried, he tried to think of a way to keep them here, so that they weren't separated. Akane was right. He was scared too but… he was out of options.

"Boy!" Genma called, running towards them. "We need to move now."

"Where do they need us?" Ukyo asked, clenching her fist.

"At the summit of Mt. Arreat," Genma replied.

"But the demon…"

Genma shook his head. "We won't make a difference. And right now… it doesn't look to good anyway for those that have to stay to fight. The Generals seem to think that there is something to this story. We need to get to the summit right away and try to stop the demons from getting whatever is there."

A reprieve, Ranma thought with some relief. But…

"Let's go," Genma said, pushing them along. "There a tunnel that leads into the mountain. We need to…"

"But Akari…" Ryoga started.

"She's with the Generals right now. The Barbarians are under her command after all."

"Kasumi and my father…" Akane said.

"They're at the front as well. Everyone is going there, except us."

The group froze and looked at Genma. He paused for a moment and studied their faces. He had forgotten how young they actually were. And now, he was asking them to run away, to leave their friends and family behind to certain death. 

"We'll come back," Genma said, trying to find the right words. "As soon as we're done, we'll come back and everyone will still be here. All right?"

The group paused before nodding slightly. They knew it was a lie but… it was a nice lie. And so they chose to believe it. Running to the back of town was like fighting against the current. The remaining inhabitants of Harrogarth were spilling out into the streets, dressed for battle and running towards the melee.

And then suddenly, they were there. The large door opened as Genma approached it. He stole one last glance towards town before running inside.

Ukyo paused, gripping the doorframe for a moment before she stepped through. Her mother was there, one of the Generals but… but she shouldn't care about her, right? Not after all the hurtful things she had done. Still… still, there was an ache in her chest as she stepped inside.

Shampoo was next, watching the girl in front of her pause and realizing that she was not the only one who was afraid of this next step. The rest of the town might run to the front but Shampoo knew of one person who wasn't going to be moving from his spot. The only solace she could take was that if the demons overran them all, he'd probably be spared. Stupid Mousse, make Shampoo worry at time like this… So she followed after Ukyo quickly.

Akane was next and she found herself rooted at the entrance. She hadn't even gotten to say good-bye… or wish them luck. What if she never got to see them again? The fear suddenly started to fade away as she felt something warm take her hand. Looking up, she saw Ranma attempting to stay aloof but failing miserable. After a sigh he looked at her and nodded. He was scared too but… they would fight, they would fight together. 

Ryoga watched the two of them step in together and realized he was the last one. He looked one more time at Harrogath, trying to take in the familiar curves and corners of the town. It would still be here, he thought to himself firmly. It would still be here when he got back.

Taking the door in his hand, he swung the heavy door shut behind him, the loud boom echoing through the empty streets but quickly dying at the gates under the roar of the demon army.


	30. Act 5, Quest 5 : Rite of Passage

**__**

Author's note: This is it… the end game starts here and… sniffle… must not get emotional over impending end of story.

Thanks to Another Duck for the beta read again… I know, someday, I will learn to use commas… really I will.

What's a Vaught? You mean… you don't know what a Vaught is? I sure in hell didn't but it turns out the Vaught is the name of the background artist. Now go back read the part about the Halls of Vaught… tricky, eh?

Everyone is throwing such nice comments my way, so thank you very much. I do write other stuff but this… this is my baby and sniffle… it's almost over…

By the way… anything that is surrounded by tildes, ( ~ ), are actual passages from the story, like little flashbacks from what's happened before.

So yeah, enjoy the chapter and ummm… well… don't kill me.

**__**

Act 5, Quest 5 : Rite of Passage

The walls of the mountain shook and Akane lost her footing, briefly grazing the ice wall before a firm hand steadied her. Looking up, she met the eyes of Shampoo, seeing a bit of worry behind the normally cool façade. Without a word, the Amazon left her behind and continued walking up the icy slope in silence.

In fact, since they had entered the mountain, no one had said a word. The constant shaking of the mountain were testimony to what was occurring outside. A battle was raging and they were running away, up through the empty ice passages that wove their way through the massive mountain. Despite casting Warmth repeatedly, Akane couldn't get warm. She tried to push thoughts out of her mind about her family, but it was still there, a constant worry in the back of her mind.

Genma suddenly stopped and held up his hand, signaling to the group to the same. He took a few steps forward and disappeared around a corner. A few seconds later, a wave of sunlight flooded the cavern, and Genma called out to them to join him.

The group spilled out of the cave, landing on the snowy plateau. Ranma looked around and found that there was no longer any mountain visible to them, they had reached the summit.

A raven cried from above and tore through the clouds, suddenly followed by at least three dozen more. They dove down the side of the mountain and disappeared from view. Cautiously, Ranma walked to the edge and looked out at the view.

Harrogath spread out before them, the town so small from the high vantage point that it looked like a toy. Ryoga reached out a hand and for a moment, he felt like he could just take the town in his hand and pull it away.

And he wished he really could have done that. From here, they could all see what was happening. Harrogath was burning, its proud walls smashed by demon catapults. But the main assault still hadn't come. The Army of Light was holding the hordes back. The snowy battlefield was barely visible under the haze of spells and smoke.

"We need to keep moving," Genma said, watching them all stare at the scene.

They all looked at him, their faces saying all the words of worry and anger that could not be spoken. They wanted to be down with everyone else. It was worse now that they could see what was happening. Why did they have to come here? What could possibly be more important than this?

Genma walked forward towards the stone circle in the summit. In the center was an altar, plain and unadorned, yet radiating with power. Three stone statues watched him as he moved. Cautiously, Genma walked forward, waiting for something to happen. He leaned forward onto the altar and cautiously used a hand to wipe away some of the snow.

The altar lit up, a beam of light shot upwards and into the snowy sky, breaking the clouds and letting the sun reach the summit. The assembled group turned upwards, watching as the sunlight hit their armor, giving it almost a heavenly glow.

__

"We are the spirits of the Nephalem, the Ancient Ones. We have been chose to guard sacred Mount Arreat, wherein the Worldstone rests. Few are worthy to stand in its presence; fewer still can comprehend its true purpose. Before you enter, you must defeat us."

The group jumped back and began to look around. 

"What the hell was that?" Ranma asked, drawing his sword.

"It's the legend," Ryoga replied. "Those who are guarding the summit won't let us pass until we've beaten them."

"Then we beat," Shampoo replied, nocking an arrow and aiming it around trying to locate her foe.

Suddenly the stone statue to her left moved. The sound of rock's breaking echoed through the summit. The stone skin flaked off and in place of a statue stood a man. Tall and with brown hair, wearing fur and hold himself proud and strong, it wasn't hard to guess his heritage. Barbarian and from the looks of the scars on him, a very battle tested one at that.

"Ah… that really can't be good," Ukyo said.

The Guardian brought his throwing axes up and pointed to Shampoo. The rest of the group looked at him and then back at the purple haired Amazon.

"Is this one-on-one combat?" Akane asked, watching as the man walked to the center of the ring.

"Not according to the legend," Ryoga said. "But then… it's just a legend. I don't know if…"

Shampoo locked eyes with the Guardian and nodded, slowly walking into the circle.

"Is not problem, Shampoo take down," she said letting an arrow fly.

***

__

The arrow sailed and hit the target right in the middle. A very young Shampoo nodded assertively as she pulled another arrow. She was about to fire when she heard someone approach and quickly shifted her aim.

A lady with flowing blue hair slowly moved towards her, armor shifting slightly as she did. She had a sad smile on her face and she watched as the young girl turn back to the target.

"It will be dark soon," she said.

"I don't care," Shampoo replied. "I want to get this right."

The woman walked towards the target and Shampoo relaxed her grip on it. Looking down the other woman smiled.

"You almost hit the target."

"But it's not perfect," Shampoo replied.

The other woman nodded. "But it's still good."

"No!" Shampoo cried. "If it's not the center, then what does it matter?"

The other woman looked over at her sadly. "Is that all you see? The center?"

The little girl paused. "What else is there?"

The woman sighed. "If all you see is the center then you are not seeing anything at all. The center is just one small part of the whole," she said running a hand around part of the outer circle. 

***

Her arrow was true to its course but the Guardian was too fast. He quickly evaded and responded with a barrage of attacks on his own. She barely had the chance to dodge.

__

She's wrong, you always aim for the center. There is only one real target, only one real way.

The Amazon way is the only way you must follow, Cologne had said.

Shampoo paused, her footing slowly skidding to a stop as she turned around, just in time to see the Guardian's axes hit where she was.

__

There is only one way, one path, one target you must strive to hit.

She turned and her eyes grazed past the circle of people around them. She pulled an arrow and twisted her back, shooting it towards the approaching man. He ducked and leapt forward, the axes coming dangerously close.

__

But is it true? Was there only one path like the Amazons taught? Or…

He was too close and she couldn't fire. All she could do was bring her bow up and attempt to shield the attack. It whined against the weight as he pressed his axes against it and she brought a foot up, kicking him in the gut and giving herself a chance to get away.

"Shampoo!" Ukyo cried but Shampoo shook her head. No, they couldn't afford to mess things up now by breaking the rules.

She turned the bow in her hand and brought it around to nocking it once more. She watched as the Guardian walked around, preparing to attack. She shot a glance over at her small group of friends, watching them tense as her enemy prepared to attack.

__

Or had maybe my path has long since strayed from a single target?

~ "No about what you expect. About what you not expect. Road to cure full of non-expected things. You can handle? No. You weak." ~

I had said that to Ranma in the beginning but… but had I been the weakest of them all?

The Guardian threw and Shampoo barely managed to flip out of the way. She reached back and felt the arrows there. There were only three left.

__

~ "She is dead to her tribe," Cologne said. "That is my last gift to her. To be no longer bound by Amazon law and not have to face being ostracized by her peers for being rescued by a man." ~

I am alone.

~ "No tribe, no class. Shampoo no have even weapon to fight." ~ 

She let the first arrow fly on it went wide. The Guardian brought his head up to face her, dragging his feet in the snow to slow his charge as he steadied himself for the next throw.

"You can do it Shampoo!" Ukyo cried from the side. Shampoo stole a glance and saw the brown haired assassin jumping up and down as she cheered. Around her, the rest of the group was attempting to booster her spirits as well.

__

Or am I?

~ Ukyo looked at the glass in front of Shampoo and picked it up. She dumped it back into the jug and handed it to the Amazon. "Here," she said. "I think you're going to need it all." ~

Ukyo was there.

~ "But you've got us," Ukyo said, gripping the other girl's arm. ~

She was always there to lend support.

And Ryoga had been there to push me when I wanted to believe I was worthless. Akane hadn't trusted me at first but slowly warmed up to the idea of having me as a companion… maybe even as a friend. And Ranma… he never tried to force himself as his leader but… but he had managed to make himself my leader all the same.

And then…

~ "Why would Amazon marry dumb Necromancer like you?" ~ 

Then there was Mousse.

~ Leaning forward, he examined her and started to smile. "Wow, you are a babe!" ~

Mousse who had been with me through the beginning…

~ "Take care of her for me." ~ 

And the end. 

Shampoo pulled the second arrow and fired but her vision was clouding over. It was tears. The stone façade of the purple haired Amazon was cracking. She had thought herself alone but now… now she could see the truth.

__

~ "Shampoo agree. Good fighters together now. We defeat all." ~

The center is just one small part of the whole. If all you see is the center then you are not seeing anything at all. 

It's not just me. And my path… it was not mine alone. But everyone's. And I have to give them the chance to keep going.

The Guardian began to advance. She pulled the last arrow and nocked in place, lining it up with Guardian's heart. She held the bowstring taut and found herself locked in place, the slightest breeze picking up snow from the ground.

The sky split apart again and a beam of radiant light shot down and completely covered the Amazon.

"What is it?" Akane yelled at Genma.

The light faded just a bit and in the swath of light, there were suddenly two people. Shampoo and a blue haired woman in Amazon armor.

Genma shook his head. "I wouldn't have believed it if I wasn't seeing it with my own eyes." He said. "It's a Valkyrie." 

The Valkyrie leaned forward and gripped Shampoo's hands in her own. The Guardian began to move quicker, realizing his danger. There was a cry and the arrow flew forward, a trail of light following it as it made its way to its target. 

The arrow struck its target and then continued forward, piercing a hole right through the Guardian. There was no way to recover from that attack and the ancient fighter gave one last cry before it disappeared, turning back into a stone statue on its pedestal.

The light around Shampoo faded and as it did, it stole the light from her eyes as well. She fell down to the ground and the Valkyrie watched with sadness as she did. It leaned down for a moment before it disappeared with the last bit of light.

Ukyo was there first, shaking Shampoo and trying to wake her up.

"Why isn't she waking up?" she cried. "He never hit her!"

"This is a different type of injury," Genma said looking in the Amazon's eyes. "She used up ever bit of mana to cast those last two spells."

"But she'll be all right?" Akane asked. But Genma could only answer with silence.

Ukyo held back a sob and looked up, just in time to see the second statue coming to life. She stood up and clenched her fists, the blades cracking slightly as she did. She knew what Shampoo had done. It was exactly the same thing Ukyo had tried with the Overseer. Shampoo had finally realized that she was part of a group and had pushed herself beyond her limit to get them to the next stage.

The Defender pointed with his sword even though he didn't need to. Ukyo was already there.

***

__

"Who is your target, Sawae-san?"

"The Dark Mages!"

"What is your purpose in life, Nanao-san?" 

"To eradicate evil!"

"And at what price do you do that? Ukyo-san?"

Ukyo looked up at her teacher, her ten-year-old face crumpled in confusion. The stone classroom was in the highest part of the Assassin's school and Ukyo had been staring out the window rather than paying attention.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"How far will you go to fulfill this pledge?"

Ukyo paused. "I will do anything to fulfill it."

"Will you forsake your family, your friends?"

"Yes."

"Will you give up on a normal life and live in the shadows?"

"Yes."

"So what will you give up for this cause?"

"Everything."

***

Ukyo hand slashed down and the Defender barely had the chance to move out of the way. He scowled and began to spin, forcing Ukyo flat to the ground to avoid the Whirlwind attack.

That was close… too close. She needed to be careful now, avoid the attack and hit him with traps. She threw a few Sentries, watching as they held him in place for a moment and let her call for her Shadow.

The other Ukyo appeared looking at her with a sad smile and a nod. Ukyo paused, suddenly seeing the Shadow leap into battle and tear at the Defender with its bare hands. It was an ugly sight to watch as the Shadow yelled, striking with fury.

__

That's me… that's what I am. Was I right? Did I give everything up to the cause? In some ways yes. But… but in my heart…

Ukyo looked over at Ranma for a minute and he caught her eye, confusion dotting his face.

__

In my heart, there was always another cause.

~ "I don't understand. Why did Ranma leave?" ~

The Defender slashed an axe downward and the Shadow barely got out of the way. Ukyo leaped into the fray, unleashing a series of attacks. The Defender fell back, suddenly finding himself facing two highly skilled fighters.

__

In my heart, I was always looking for something else. 

~ "Revenge," the Assassin said darkly. "Against him," she finished pointing at Ranma. ~

The two assassins flipped backwards effortlessly as the Defender let loose a Whirlwind attack. He growled as he came to stop and realized he hadn't hit either of them. Kneeling on the ground he let out a War Cry, boosting himself up for the next attack.

__

And I tried to say it was for revenge but…

~ "Ranma from Ukyo past, past she no talk about with anyone on all trip. Can not be happy past if she only live so can kill Ranma. Now Ukyo know that Ranma not bad person and feel like wasted life. So try to get back some of… lost time. Make Ranma seven again and believe he still Ukyo best friend. Make like happy child again." ~

The axe came down to quickly and the shadow reeled in surprise, an arc of blood shooting upward before the body evaporated into the Shadow Realm. Ukyo paused watching the Defender turn his attention back to her.

__

Shampoo was right. I was looking for another chance, a better past. I tried to follow everything I had been taught, making Ranma the source of evil, sacrificing everything but…

~ "Sacrificing yourself is not following that advice," Ryoga interrupted, smashing the lock with his axe. "It didn't help us at all, so never try it again." ~

But there were people their to stop me. 

The Defender ran towards her and Ukyo made a decision. She wasn't going to call another Shadow. She was going to finish this fight by herself.

__

~ "Find the Saotomes. You are right. Your destiny lies with them." ~

She struck once with a Phoenix strike, the single orb of light circling around her.

__

You were right about that Mom, even if you were wrong about almost everything else. 

He attacked but Ukyo dodged, hitting him with the second strike.

__

My destiny was always with them… and then with the others. But my destiny was not what the assassins thought.

Ukyo jumped backwards and landed on her feet. The light from the two orbs around her blinding the Defender for a moment, letting her land the third strike. She flipped backwards and putting as much distance between him as she could.

__

I'm not the reject anymore. I'm not the girl who pined after Ranma after losing him and sought revenge. I'm not the perfect assassin you wanted me to be. I'm me. And that's what I should have been trying to be all the time. Just me. And now, I'm going to finish what I started with Overseer.

With a cry, her eyes let forth the tears and she cast the final strike. For a moment, it was like the world paused and to the people watching her at the side what happened next wasn't visible. But around her, Ukyo felt the world shift and the portal to the shadow world open. 

The Dragon came out, the proudest of all mythical creatures, and moved at her, grabbing her in his long talons and flying her towards the Defender. Ukyo prepared, watching the orbs around her speed up in preparation for the final strike.

The Dragon let her go and she landed in front of him. The Defender was halfway through a blink when the Chaos Ice Bolt hit him. There was a cry and the world around Ukyo turned very cold. 

The Defender was encased in ice for a moment before he disappeared, the ice shattering and falling on the ground around Ukyo's body. A second later, he reappeared as a statue in the circle. 

Akane was there first looking down at the other girl and seeing the same blank expression in her eyes.

"Not again," she said softly. The third stone statue shifted as the transformation began. "Can't you wait! Can't you give us just a second!!"

But the Protector was already free and he was staring at them. Ryoga started to walk over but Akane managed to grab his hand.

"Don't… you know what's going to happen, don't you?"

Ryoga nodded. "Of course."

"Then don't go," Akane said softly.

Ryoga paused and looked back at the three remaining members. "I can't let Ukyo and Shampoo have all the fun now."

He started to turn away but locked eyes with Ranma. "Take care of her, you hear?"

Ranma nodded and put a hand on Akane's shoulder. Ryoga turned and walked away, just in time to catch sight of the Protector's huge axe pointing at him.

***

__

"Did you get lost again?"

Ryoga shook his head, watching as his mother's hands encircled him and picked him up. "What are we going to do with you?"

Little Ryoga started to cry because he didn't know what else to do. He didn't understand why he couldn't find his way around, why his mother always had to find him.

"Don't cry, little one. I know it's hard but… it's so easy to cry. What's really hard, is to smile, to laugh, and to find joy in all the hardship of life."

***

Ryoga scowled, watching the Protector wave a big axe at him. For a moment, they looked exactly alike, two Barbarians holding mighty axes and preparing for battle. 

__

This is it. This is the last fight. I wonder what Shampoo and Ukyo thought about when they stood here. Shampoo cried. Ukyo cried. I guess I should too, being that this is probably it and all.

The Protector let loose a battle cry and Ryoga echoed it, gripping his axe tightly. His face said all the things he wouldn't speak. Bring it on.

__

Yeah, 'cause it was such a great life to begin with. Akane was the perfect girl, only she didn't love me unless I was a pig. My home was destroyed, my family is dead.

The Protector leapt up and Ryoga followed suit, both combatants meeting in the air with a clash of steel. They hit the ground on the opposite side where they had started. The Protector looked at him with anger. 

__

I'm not going to give up that easy. No matter how miserable my life is.

~ "Will daddy be proud of me?" ~

~ "Oh yes, as will your mother and the rest of your tribe. And the young girl you like so much." ~

The fortuneteller was full of crap. What would any of them have been proud about? What the hell have I accomplished in life?

Ryoga swirled the axe in his fist and charged at the Protector, launched a series of Frenzied attacks at him. But the Protector countered, mimicking every move he made.

__

Crap! It's like fighting myself. Resilient old bastard! Why don't you just die! You've been dead for years. What the hell do you have to live for? Gods! Does everyone have more to live than me? My life is that miserable, huh? 

The two barbarians clashed in the middle and their axes locked together. It was no longer a matter fancy skills, it was about who was stronger. Ryoga's feet started to slip in the snow and back towards the edge of the summit. The Protector scowled.

__

You think I'm scared? Scared of what? To die? Most of the people I know are already there. Anything after this would be better than what I've had to endure in this life.

~ Ryoga laughed. "We'd just step on them. Squash."  
  
Ranma looked over as Ryoga devoured his food. "Some of us could have squashed those big monsters too."  
  
There were assorted chuckles until Ryoga looked up and realized what was going on. "HEY!" he yelled. But he wasn't serious. In fact, he was glad to hear them all laughing again. ~

His feet found no traction in the snow and Ryoga was losing ground fast. His muscles strained against the pressure. 

__

Okay, so there had been a few laughs… though it was usually at my expense. So that didn't count right?

~ "I did it!" Ryoga screamed. "I finally BEAT RANMA!!"  
  
"NO WAY!" Ranma said, trying to drown him out. "We're doing best two out of three!" But Ryoga was already gloating and walking around the room, singing Barbarian victory songs. ~

Something started to creak and Ryoga realized it was his axe. It was starting to come apart against the strength of the Protector. Not that it mattered. The edge of the cliff was coming up fast and he'd be tossed over it before his weapon was destroyed.

__

Fine! There were good times. But… but everything else was wrong, everything in my life is miserable.

~ "Come on Ryoga… join the love."

"Shut up, Ranma," Ryoga said before Akane grabbed his arm and pulled him to the group.

"We're together again," she said with a smile. "We're back as a group." ~

Ryoga looked over at his shoulder. He could see Genma, Ranma and Akane looking at him with worry. He looked back at his enemy and saw the anger reflected in his eyes. Suddenly Ryoga's grip started to loosen on his axe.

__

Crap. It wasn't that bad of a life, was it? I guess it was just easier to go down thinking it was. More like, it was easier to just live thinking it was. If things were always bad, then it wouldn't be so bad having the deal with whatever got thrown my way.

I think you were right mom. It was easier to just let life suck. Only looking back… maybe it wasn't that bad. Maybe I did accomplish something.

Ryoga looked at the Protector and started to laugh. The Protector balked a bit and watched as the barbarian let loose a string of happy laughter.

__

Just my luck, right? To figure out that life was okay right when it's about it end. It's always like that. But… but I glad I got to realize it… even if its over.

Ryoga's axe shattered and the Protector's weapon landed right in his chest. For a moment, the Protector thought he had won but Ryoga's hand grabbed his wrists tightly. The boy fell backwards, hitting the ground hard and sending the Protector up over his head and over the edge of the cliff.

There was silence and suddenly the third statue reappeared in its place.

Ranma made it there first this time, looking down at the Barbarian's chest, expecting to see the Protector's axe embedded in his chest. But there was no weapon, only Ryoga who looked up at the sky with clouded over eyes with a large smile on his face.

***

Ryoga, Ukyo and Shampoo lay propped up in the middle of the circle, each of the back touching the other two. They faced the statue of the warrior they had bested, their weapons lay at their feet. Their eyes had been closed and on their lap were branches from the nearby pines.

A snow began to fall, slowly dusting them, making them take on the appearance of the statues that they had beaten before making the final sacrifice. It would have been the saddest memorial to have ever graced the world but none of the three warriors looked in pain.

Shampoo's face was at peace. Ukyo's face was relaxed with relief. Ryoga was still smiling. And their hands had been laced together forming an unbreakable circle.

Akane wiped the last tear from eye and turned to Ranma and Genma. They looked at her with silent nods as they waited for her to catch up.

Just as the journey had begun, it was about to end. The three remaining warriors walked through the summit entrance and prepared to face the final unknown, the knowledge of how many people had sacrificed themselves to get to this point still fresh on their minds. But rather than weigh on their hearts, they all felt empowered, stronger than ever and ready to defeat whatever awaited them.


	31. Act 5, Quest 6 : Eve of Destruction

**__**

Author's note : I'm still a bit amazed that I've finally gotten to this point of the story. This is the last part of the Diablo game… 31 chapters in all. But it's not quite the end yet.

Thanks to all the reviews and to Another Duck for the beta read! I know this chapter has taken a bit longer to get out then the others so thanks for your patience. Enjoy!

**__**

Act 5, Quest 6 : Eve of Destruction

Her feet felt like they were touching the cold stone staircase as she made her way down into the darkness. Her eyes were straight ahead, staring into nothingness but not noticing it. Her mind was lost in thought, trying to decipher and understand exactly what had happened, trying to find another explanation…

But there was none. They were dead. All of them.

The sudden appearance of torchlights snapped her out of her revelry. There was no time for remorse or regret. She had to concentrate on the fight ahead.

The Worldstone Keep stretched in front of them as the small trio reached the final steps. The stone walls seemed to be sucking the heat out of the air. This time Akane never felt the cold. She wasn't feeling much of anything anymore.

The walls began to shake and Akane had to grab onto the wall or risk falling down. Ranma turned around to make sure she was okay. She nodded softly but her brow furrowed as the wall began to shake again.

"Is it me or…" she started.

"Yeah," Ranma jumped in. "It's too regular to be natural."

"We should move," Genma said quickly and no one could argue the point. 

Swiftly, the three warriors fled down the halls, trying to outrun whatever was chasing them. But the pounding was getting louder and debris was starting to rain down from the walls.

"What is it?" Akane cried.

"I don't want to find out," Ranma replied.

The floor suddenly buckled and they all went tumbling to the ground. Ranma could feel the cuts and scraps form in every place that wasn't covered by armor. He hit the floor and something slipped off his neck.

He watched as his amulet fell to the ground. The tiny shard of Akane's helmet caught the light in the cavern before it embedded itself into the grout of the stone floor. Ranma blinked and looked up, seeing Akane across from him attempting to regain her composure.

Something constricted in his chest. The torchlights flickered out and engulfed the hallway in darkness. His mind could sense it before his body could react. But he tried anyway.

"AKA…"

The floor exploded into a rain of pebbles and Akane, Genma and Ranma were powerless to do anything. A strong wind took Ranma in its arms and bore him down countless passages in the space of a few seconds. It tossed him against the walls before throwing him to the ground and disappearing just as quickly as it had come. 

Ranma coughed for a few minutes, fighting to get air back in his lung. His eyes blinked and he realized it was still dark. Struggling towards the nearest wall, his finger sought for grooves there and he used them to slowly pull himself up.

His head hit something and as soon as he had finished cursing it, Ranma realized it was a torch. He patted his pocket and brought out a flint lighter, carefully bringing it up to the still warm head of the torch.

The fire lit up the cavern quickly and Ranma swept it around, looking for traces of anything familiar.

"Akane? Pop!" he called out but there was no answer.

He took a few steps forwards before something caught his eye. Kneeling to the ground, he saw the remnants of a chain with the tiny shard attached.

__

~ "Good luck!" Akane said, suddenly outstretching her hand. Something came tumbling out of her fingers. Ranma reached forward and slowly grabbed it. "It's a piece of my helmet. It's not going to do me any good but Cologne said it might make a good amulet." ~

His hand closed around the shard and he held it there for a moment. The air was still but the flame of the torch danced with no one. He carefully wrapped the chain around his wrist and secured it as best he could before he set off down the corridor in search of his comrade.

He only got two steps before he found his way blocked.

"So the infamous paladin Ranma Saotome… I have heard much about you from my master. But as soon as I kill you, all he will speak about is me, Lime."

***

__

~ Suddenly she was under the water. It was strange how peaceful it was under here. There was no thunder, no rain, no chaos. As the boat began to pull her down, everything started to get dark and Akane found herself being welcomed into the peaceful embrace of the sea. ~

Akane's shot open and she coughed, trying to draw air into her lungs. She was drowning? No, no that was a long time ago. And there was no water here. She looked around and realized it was very dark.

She lifted an arm above her head and cast a simple fireball, trying to keep in place until she could see a torch. The room lit up as several torches caught fire by the passing fireball. Akane blinked again and realized she was lying on the floor of a hallway.

Sitting up, she found her wand close to her and clutched it quickly to her body.

"Ranma? Mr. Saotome?"

But there was no answer. She was completely alone. 

She took a few steps down the hall and came quickly to a stop, hearing them echo down the passageway. Her skin began to crawl as they did and she had to suppress the urge to run. 

She took two more steps.

Three echoed down the hall.

Akane spun around, bringing her wand parallel to the floor as a fireball flared up on its end. But what she saw there made her stop.

"No…" she said softly.

"Do you remember me?" The creature smiled. "I gave you the greatest gift but you tossed it away."

Akane tried to keep her hand straight but it was shaking. "It wasn't a gift. It was a curse. Now stay back. I'm not the same little sorceress you knew back then."

Herb smiled, watching the wand bob up and down. "And I'm not as giving as I was. Now it's time for payback."

***

Genma never lost consciousness or his breath. He had felt the wind hit him like a full force hurricane and instinctively he had held his breath. He landed on his feet as the wind deposited him twenty right turns and ten left turns later. And he remembered the order. 

Amateurs, he thought starting to make his way back the way he had came. Ranma would do the same, if he had managed to teach the boy anything… Genma sighed. No, they were probably both completely lost.

"My, my, I am the lucky one this time."

The torches caught fire and Genma squinted under the glare. There was man standing there, not very tall but something was very wrong about his presence.

"Lucky that I'll finish you off quickly," Genma said, bringing his mind into a state of preparation.

"My comrades have the misfortune of disposing of your two little underlings. But I, Mint, have a master level Druid to play with. You will change into a wolf, wont you? I would like to have your fur as a trophy."

Genma shook his head, his eyes slowly turning lupine as his hands began to stretch and grow. "You demons think too highly of yourselves," he said, the last bit of the sentence degenerating into a growl.

Three ravens, two wolves and a grizzly bear suddenly appeared next to him. For a moment, Genma wondered if maybe he hadn't overdone it. This Mint was just standing there watching them. Maybe what he felt was wrong, maybe all Mint was an ordinary man.

The air shifted and Genma crouched low. Around him, space seemed to warp around Mint and the air got significantly warmer. The ground opened up and the flames of Hell engulfed the other man's body.

A second later a demon more terrifying then any nightmare stood in front of Genma. Its fists uncurled revealing razor sharp claws. It turned to face him, its face breaking into a smile and showing the deadly fangs that were hiding behind the rotting skin. 

Genma stood up and nodded. So this was going to be a real fight after all.

***

Ranma dodged quickly, flipping backwards into the air and barely avoiding the slash of claws as it came right at him. His sword came up and his slashed against the attack. But all he got was a flare of sparks.

The sword wasn't doing anything. The monster's physical resistance was too high. 

__

~ "You failed because you only think with the sword! It's not enough." ~

Ranma shook the memory out of his head, but the harsh sting of his father's words was still there. Hadn't he proven that he could do more than fight with a sword? Lately he could attack creatures with more than just weapons and auras.

Lime's attack destroyed the ground inches from where he was. Ranma tried to muster the concentration to cast a spell but Lime's attacks were too rapid. There was barely a chance to breathe let alone chant incantations.

Lime moved quickly and Ranma brought up his shield, knowing he would never get away in time. The impact was immense and the young paladin went spinning into the wall, the last remnants of his shield shattering against the stones as he did.

Lime began to laugh and flexed his clawed hand. Ranma shook his head to get back his concentration. His shield was gone and his sword hung limply in his hand.

"Giving up already?"

Ranma didn't move. Lime had stopped moving long enough for Ranma to get a good picture of his opponent. His hands and legs were completely armored but his chest… there was a bit of flesh peeking out behind the defenses.

"Don't even think about it," Lime said following Ranma's eyes. The demon reared up for another attack and Ranma knew he was finished unless he could find some way to defend himself. 

He had to find a way! He couldn't die here, not before he found Akane and Pop and knew they were safe.

He felt something warm against his hand and looked down. The little amulet was glowing and slowly heating up his hand. If Ranma strained his ears, he could almost make out the sound of singing.

No! It wasn't singing it was an incantation… for Holy Shield! Ranma started to repeat it quickly and the shard of helmet flared and grew, blocking Ranma from Lime's approaching jaws.

The creature wheeled backwards screaming in pain as blood spurted from him mouth and broken fangs hit the ground. Ranma didn't waste a moment. He lunged forward with his sword and hit right in the tender spot of Lime's chest.

The demon let out one more horrified yell before it fell to the ground. Ranma was heaving, the large shield at his side still glowing. Carefully, he pulled his sword out of the carcass and stepped back.

He waited for the shield to return to its normal size but it didn't happen. What the heck was going on here? 

__

"You have to understand that a majority of our class' strength does not come from within. We must rely not just on ourselves but on our faith. Faith in the people around us and faith in the good of this world."

Ranma blinked as he remembered the Paladin's words. The shield… it was from Akane's shard. And she and his father were on Ranma's mind right before he heard the spell. 

It made sense now! He could master this class!

But first, he needed to find the other two.

***

"Get away from me," Akane hissed, pushing Herb back towards the other side of the wall.

Herb smiled. "Are we afraid?"

"Stop playing with me!" Akane yelled. "I know what you did to Ryoga and Kuno. This can't be your true form!"

Herb watched her. "What? You want my true form? I would kill you before you could cast your first spell. But if you move quick enough, you might be able to singed me when I am still in human form… maybe even kill me."

Akane's breathing increased as her grip on the wand did. She looked at him and shook his head. "Is this another gift, then?" she said. "I know your gifts always have a price." Her words echoed in the cave and Akane suddenly felt surer of herself. "I won't take the easy road again. My power is my own," she said, the red glow suddenly growing around her. "And I'll defeat you in your true demon form."

Herb smiled and bowed. The skin in his back began to stretch and tear as the demon within him grew. Any normal person would have been terrified by the display, but Akane was different. And her eyes were glowing red as he turned to face her.

Herb didn't waste a minute and attacked, claws and jaws lashing forward just as Akane cast Inferno into the gaping mouth. The demon peeled backwards and slithered around the wall rounding for another pass.

Akane waited patiently, prepping her next attack. Herb was fast and body snapped forward, aiming at her with a tremendous speed. But Akane never wavered. And at the last moment, a Fire Wall sprung up to block his attack. Quickly Akane cast three more, trapping the beast in a box of fire. She would only have a few spare seconds before they went out.

Meteor's incantation left her lips and Akane spared a look at the trapped demon before it was destroyed. If she hadn't known any better… she would have sworn it was smiling.

***

Demon parts littered the area. The carcass of a wolf flickered out of existence as it finally succumbed to injury. It was a massacre and as light began filtering into the cavern, it became hard to tell who had won the fight.

Her white wings folded against her back, the angel slowly waded her way though the carnage to reach the man slumped against the wall. It was clear that he was very badly injured. Multiple wounds bled on the ground. His face had been bruised and shredded beyond recognition…that was to anyone but her.

"Oh, Genma… what did you do now?"

Genma shifted a bit, forcing one of his swollen eyes to open just a bit. It snapped shut in the radiance that surrounded the angel.

"If… I didn't know…" But his mouth was missing too many teeth to make much sense.

"Shhh…" Nodoka said, placing a finger on his lip. "It is me."

"You… dead."

"Yes," she replied. "But not gone. I have a new position now. I'm helping Tendo-san with her work… as an angel."

Genma's lips twitched. "Lied… to…"

"Yes, I did lie," Nodoka said placing her hands on her hips. "But you deserved it! I waited but you never came. I never once got to see my boy grown up with human eyes!"

"Good… boy…"

"He is a good boy. And he's going to need help."

Genma shifted as if trying to stand up but half his body would not respond to his command.

"Not you," Nodoka said. "I'm afraid that was your last fight."

Genma head tilted in a nod. "…take… to… Hell?"

Nodoka smiled. "As much as you deserve it… that's not what you are destined for. Rest Genma, go with your friends. I will see you soon."

She reached out and slowly made to cover his eyes. But with his last bit of strength reached up and took her arm.

"…sorry…"

***

"There is no reason to worry."

Kodachi spun on her feet. "There should be someone else here."

"You will be enough."

Kodachi spun to face the throne. "Mousse should have been here. That was the plan, five to face them at the end."

The figure there shook his head. "It was not in my control."

"Nothing is in your control," Kodachi hissed. "This whole war is falling apart on you. The Army of Light is pushing us back and you still haven't figured out how to use the Worldstone! How could I not wo…"

"I would be careful with what you say. Oblivion is a place I can reintroduce you to if I so desire."

Kodachi turned to him with anger. "I will follow your commands," she said.

"Then be ready. They're here."

The doors at opposite ends of the throne room flew open. Ranma and Akane stumbling in and looked around for a moment before catching the other's eye.

"Akane!" Ranma called. "I was looking for you!"

"I was looking for you too!" she said, her face suddenly breaking out into a smile. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said, as if it was a silly question. "Where's pop?"

"Dead." Ranma and Akane turned and watched as Kodachi strolled towards them. "Don't worry, little girl," she said looking at Akane. "I'll send you to meet him soon."

"Don't you ever die?" Akane asked, pulling her wand around. "Ranma… let me enchant your sword and… Ranma??"

But Ranma wasn't looking at Akane or Kodachi. His eyes were locked on whatever was on the throne. It hadn't spoken to him but somehow Ranma knew. This was the final brother, this was the last obstacle to peace.

Ranma strode forward but Kodachi moved quickly and struck at him, sending him back. The air crackled with electricity as she prepared a lightning strike. Ranma brought his shield above his head and knelt to ground. The full force of the spell hit him but the shield protected him from its magical effects.

Kodachi didn't seem too pleased. She prepared another attack but the floor below her erupted into flames and she had to move backwards.

"I'll kill you," Kodachi said. "Both of you."

"So much for love," Ranma said, unsheathing his sword.

Kodachi smiled. "I'll still have you… even if it's slightly charred."

"There are so many things wrong with that, I'm not even gonna reply," Ranma said as he charged. His sword flared red as Akane cast Enchant. A wall of fire sprung up behind Kodachi to block her retreat. Kodachi snarled unhappily.

"So you are serious," she said, moving quickly to the left as he struck with his sword. "Are you upset about your father? That his body was torn to shred by my comrade?"

"You're lying," Ranma said swinging the sword around for another pass. "That old bastard would never let himself get killed by one of your kind."

Kodachi's hand snapped forward and she caught him at the neck. "No? Well, I'll have to prove it to you."

Her hand snapped out and claws appeared, laced with poison. She came forward for the strike but something hit her side and the wind was knocked out of her. Akane pulled back her wand and stepped away as Kodachi dropped Ranma and staggered about.

"NOW!" she yelled.

Ranma took his sword and lunged forward embedding the blade in her chest. Kodachi looked at him surprised. "But… Ranma-sama…"

He shook his head and pulled the blade out of it, letting her body fall to floor and evaporate into electrical energy. Ranma took in a deep breath and looked up. Akane nodded at him and started to walk towards him but was stopped by the strange noise filling the cavern.

Clapping.

"Good job. Good job."

The creature shifted on the throne and stood up, his golden wings unfolded into the room as his long hair tumbled down. "I must say, I have never been impressed by your pathetic race but you may have been able to change my opinion. If you weren't doomed to die by my hand now."

Ranma and Akane spared each other a glance before preparing for a fight. The ground below him shifted and a portal appeared, dropping the demon to the second level of the chamber. The portal continued forward and the entire floor disappeared, sending the two remaining fighters down into the cavern underneath.

Even under such dire circumstance, neither of them could not marvel at the beauty of the Worldstone. It encompassed most of the back wall of the massive cavern, shining brilliantly and shifting colors so that it was just a blurry rainbow in the end.

Akane and Ranma stood up, finding themselves separated by several feet. They tried to rejoin as a party but something crashed in between them and forced them back. Looking over, they watched as the once attractive man morphed into the demon king he truly was.

Saffron's voice roared against the cavern and even the Worldstone shook at his cry. This was no ordinary monster… this was something worse than they had ever had to deal with. And there were only two of them left.

Ranma headed towards the obstacle blocking his path, determined to get to Akane before the demon could attack them separately. The only problem was that the obstacle turned out to be one of the demon's appendages and as Ranma reached to vault over it, it casually swept him aside and towards the edge of a cliff.

Ranma skidded to a stop just before he pitched over the side and found himself staring down into a bubbling sea of lava. The demon turned and snarled at him, preparing for the next attack.

Akane watched from the other end, completely horrified. No! She had to do something! She couldn't lose him too! 

She brought her wand up and prepared a spell but found she couldn't muster the concentration. All she could think of was Ukyo, Ryoga and Shampoo's pale faces as they lay in the snow. They were dead. And now Ranma was going to be too.

Her mind flooded with memories of their trip. The way he constantly picked on her or was oblivious to way his action with the other girls hurt her. He was a pervert. An idiot. Besides…

__

~ Do you know what it feels like to realize you can be that easily replaced in someone's life? ~

There was the incident with the doll. She had to hate him for that.

But then there was the Rouge's forest and how he came to save her. The desert maze where he had rescued her. Kurast, where he had found her about to be eaten by Flayers. And yes, it may have been annoying at the time to be rescued by that egotistical jerk. But... she had been grateful. 

The way he had stuck by her when she had screwed up and used Herb's spell and almost killed them all. Or when he had stopped by to give her support before she took Happosai's potion to cure that curse… that had made her feel relieved. 

But it wasn't just his valiant heroics or his kindness towards her that made her waver against her natural inclination to run. In the end, it was the same reason she had wanted to hate him that brought her to a stand still.

__

~ "I'm sorry we didn't realize it was you in Lut Gholeim. She was there, she looked like you but you're right she didn't act like you. And I had a feeling that it wasn't you but I thought it was just because… because…" ~

It wasn't the apology itself but what was written on his face that made her realize that he might have been afraid of losing her. They had felt the same way. And if things hadn't gone south quickly after that maybe they would have had a chance to work it out. And then the endless battles, the never ending supply of monsters…

She was going to have to give them a chance to work it out now.

The wand came up and heat began to radiate off it. Akane's eyes turned red and the ground around her began to lift under the power her spell. She was calling Fire Mastery, pulling up her power until she could get it full strength. But would it be enough?

Something moved next to her but Akane felt no fear. A hand reached forward and lay onto of hers, lightning dancing around the wand as the woman came next to her. To her left the air grew cold and Akane watched as another hand grabbed the wand.

She looked forward, watching as Saffron turned towards the immense power that was amassing across the room. Three women, though two were barely visible, were drawing upon their mastery of the three elements. 

Saffron dove forward to try to stave of the impending attack but Akane's wand exploded into light and shot forward, piercing him through the chest and shattered the demon to pieces.

She fell to the ground, winded but otherwise fine. She had no mana left but Saffron had been defeated. Akane smiled and looked up, catching Ranma's eye and getting read to return his celebratory look.

But it wasn't there. All that was there was fear. 

Akane watched as he started to call out her name. She turned but only got half way around when it hit her. She got a glimpse of Saffron as he speared her through the chest with a Cold Wave. Somehow, he had managed to double himself… and Akane hadn't realized until it was too late.

The Cold Wave hit her and Akane could feel any remnants of Warmth being stripped away. It seeped into her body and froze everything in place, until it finally reached her heart. Saffron watched her drop to the ground with indifference. 

The entire time it was happening, Ranma didn't move. It was like a dream to him, watching her get caught up in the cold. It had to be a dream. He ran up and pulled Akane away before Saffron could strike again. He pulled out a potion and brought it to her lips.

"Akane, you need to drink this," he said. "Akane, wake up and drink this…"

"There aren't enough potions in the world to save her," Saffron said as he rounded his way opposite of Ranma.

Ranma didn't look up. "Akane… wake up," he said shaking her a bit. "Just wake up and…"

__

~ "Are you scared, Ranma?" ~ 

"Akane, please just wake up," he said, suddenly getting very worried. He didn't understand. Why wasn't she moving?

__

~ "I wasn't really scared of the fight. I was more scared of… well… It's stupid, forget it." ~

"Akane?" he asked, noticing the she wasn't moving at all, not even to breathe.

__

~ "I'm scared of losing them… of losing you." ~

"AKANE!" he cried, bringing her close to his chest and holding her there.

Saffron roared and shot forward, preparing another Cold Wave. But the light of the spell forming around Ranma blinded him from what was happening.

Ranma wasn't yelling her name anymore. His eyes were clamped shut trying to block out the image of her, his lips moving in a silent incantation, the final thing the Paladin had taught him. The ceiling opened and light poured into the WorldStone cavern. Saffron looked up, just in time to see the light solidifying into something. Something headed straight for him.

Fist of Heaven hit and Saffron was at the epicenter of its impact. Having just cast a spell, he had no chance to try to double himself again. Instead, he was left to watch as the entire wrath of Heaven came smashing into him. His body exploded into light but Ranma never noticed. He couldn't open his eyes to see her again. So peaceful and yet…

The light of Fist of Heaven began to fade but was quickly replaced by other sources of celestial light.

"Ranma?"

Ranma shook his head and turned away.

"Ranma, please look at me."

"No!" Ranma said. "I know who you are. You're here to take her away."

Akane's mother sighed and looked over at Nodoka. The other woman leaned down and took Ranma's arm in hers.

"Ranma," Nodoka said softly.

Ranma blinked and looked up, trying to take in the other woman's face. "You're familiar…"

Nodoka smiled sadly. "I'm glad you remember. It's been such a long time."

"Mom?" he said. And she nodded. He paused and looked at Akane and then at her. "You can do something right?"

Nodoka's face crumpled sadly. "I can't change what happened Ranma. I'm sorry."

"No," he said turning away. "She can't be dead. It's not fair. Not when… not when I never got to tell her." He paused and looked down at Akane. "Why are you here?"

"The Worldstone has been tainted," Nodoka said.

"And we have to destroy it," the other angel said. "Before it breaches the thin line between this world and Hell."

"What will happen when you do?" he asked softly.

"We don't know," Nodoka said.

"Perhaps the world will be destroyed anyway. Perhaps it will be reset, thrown back to a state that it was in before the three brothers attempted to destroy it. It might make life easier or it might make it a living nightmare or a vision of hell."

"You need to leave here before that happens," Nodoka said, a red portal appearing next to her. 

Ranma looked at the portal and the women and then back at Akane. He knew he couldn't stay, no matter how much it hurt to continue on. He took her body in his arms and nodded, walking through the portal and disappearing.

The two angels turned to each other. "I wish… I wish they didn't have to go through this," Nodoka said. The other angel nodded slightly.

"What do you think will happen when we destroy it?" Nodoka asked.

"There's only one way to find out."

The two angels spared one last glance at each other before they took off headed for the crystal. Their flight was a true as Shampoo's arrow. They struck the stone simultaneously, their swords piercing through the hard exterior and shattering the stone at its core.

The Worldstone exploded and the cavern began to collapse onto itself. No one was left inside to see the damage, however, or to watch as the world began to change.


	32. Epilogue

****

Epilogue

The sky exploded and the remaining soldiers were forced to the ground, the winds driving them deeper into the dirt. There were howls of pain and everyone was momentarily blinded as the world exploded.

It started to rain, softly at first before drenching the world in a downpour. Snow, blood and dirt began to mess into a thick mud and the fallen fighters had to stand up quickly or risk drowning in the mess. The injured were helped to their feet and the army watched as the sky began to change again.

It started from Mt. Arreat, the thin beam of light from the summit shot up to the sky, the dark storm clouds swirling around it making it the eye of the storm. It opened up like a flower to the rain and slashed through the clouds, clearing them as it raced across the landscape, through the snowy mountains of Harrogarth, across the sea to Kurast, against the dunes of Lut Gholein, and finally through the green forest of the Rouge territory.

* * *

The rogue turned and fired a few more arrows, yelling at her comrades to close the gates of the fort. The approaching horde was huge. Casting a glance to another rogue, they both knew that it more than they could deal with. With most of their sisters off fighting in the north, they were barely enough to keep back a pack of zombies, let alone what was coming.

Climbing up to the ramparts, the dozen women held their bow strings taunt and watched as the demons approached them. They let their arrows fly, barely looking to see if they had hit their target as they pulled out the next one. It was a losing battle but none of them wanted to admit it. They had been pushed out of their land, and this small fort had become their only home. No one wanted it to fall. 

The sky exploded in light and the rogues were thrown off the ramparts onto the ground. Screaming came from outside the wooden gate and the women had to cover their ears to block it out or risk going insane from the sound.

When it was over, they all looked hesitantly around before standing up. A few had hurt themselves from the fall but for the most part, everyone was fine. Slowly, they moved towards the gate, waiting for it to burst as the demons attacked. But time passed and when nothing happened, one of them finally opened the door.

The green forest of the Rouge territory stretched out in front of them, silent, save for the singing of birds, a sound that had not been heard in ages. Tentatively at first, they stepped outside of their small sanctuary, slowly spreading across the grounds and finding no trace of the demon hordes.

One of them broke from the group and began to run, across the fields, past the mountain until she reached the hill overlooking the Cathedral. It stood in the sunlight, pure as snow and untainted. Their holiest place had been restored, just like the rest of their lands.

* * *

The small group of soldiers approached the tomb entrance. Their sabers rattled softly as they looked at their captain. The man frowned, looking into the darkness and wondering how to proceed. Attacks on Lut Gholein had increased in previous days and they decided it was time to take action. 

The captain nodded and they began to head towards the steps. None of them knew what was waiting for them in the damp recesses of the ancient tomb. But if they were afraid, they didn't show it. Even though he was gone, their leader's courage still inspired them.

They barely made it two steps when everything went to hell. A strong wind pushed them out into the sand just as the world exploded around them. The sounds that came from the tomb were monstrous but muffled and as soon as it was over, the soldiers ran down the steps to see what had happened.

There was not a single demon left in the sacred sanctuary of the dead. The air had settled and peace had settled into the hallways. Without another word, the soldiers left and ran back towards town to see what had happened there.

* * *

Kuno's arms were folded over his chest as he watched a couple of demons hurtle themselves at the barrier. Nabiki's magic was still as strong as ever but it didn't stop the demons from trying. He cast a look over his shoulder to the empty harbor with a sigh. Even if they could keep the demons out, they were reaching the end of their food supplies. 

Before he could ponder the situation any further, he was thrown to the ground. He couldn't hear anything, the power of the shield muffling the sounds outside. But he forced his head up just enough to see the demons writhing in pain before disappearing.

It was over almost instantly and Kuno quickly stood on his feet, striding over to the barrier and looking out into the dense jungle. Suddenly, the shield started to flicker before it finally gave out. Panicked, he turned and ran towards town where a small group of people was gathering.

Pushing his way through, he took in the situation quickly. The Blade was gone and Nabiki was crumpled on the ground. He knelt down and turned her around, realizing the paleness of her face had been replaced with a healthy glow again.

She blinked suddenly, opening her eyes and looking right at him. She smiled slightly. "Hey Kuno-baby," she said with a laugh. 

He looked at her with confusion, ready to question what had happened when he heard someone yelling.

Shinnosuke was the one screaming at them, a considerable feat since he still should have been injured. But his throat was restored, as was his voice. And he was yelling at them that something was coming from Travincial. 

Thoughts of another attack were quickly extinguished as several humans came through on horses. Soldiers from Travincial coming to tell them the town had been restored.

* * *

Across the mountains, far away from all the fighting, the still remains of Tristram lay in the setting sun. The last fires had long since gone out and all that was left were smoldering remains. Demons still roamed the area, seeking out any source of food that might still be there. All they found today was immense pain as the wave of light hit them. It swept through their bodies and tore them apart before sending them back to their home in Hell. 

As soon as they were gone, the town shifted and changed. Burned wood slowly turned from black back to its natural color. Stones fell into place once more and the tree sprouted new leaves. 

The streets suddenly became filled again. First with the smaller animals, squirrels and birds that scattered quickly to seek the safety of trees and bushes. Then the cows and oxen filled up the pens once more. And finally the townsfolk arrived, filling the streets with confused laughter.

* * *

The summit suddenly exploded, raining down boulders as the tip of Mt. Arreat began to cave in. Streams of light, small crystal shards of the WorldStone flew out of the collapse, racing towards the sky.

The Army of Light watched this unfold, wondering if the world was about the end. But somehow, the warmth of the light was comforting and their fears began to wash away. The screams of torment were not coming from them but from the demons around them as small particles of light hit them and dissolved their bodies into the ground. Even the great Portals to Hell suddenly began to collapse, the rock orifices falling into themselves against the pressure of the explosion.

And then it was over. The Army of Light found themselves alone on the battlefield, no trace of the demons remained. After a few moments of confusion, the celebrations began. No one was sure what had happened but one thing was clear. The war had been won and the world had been reset.

* * *

The Guardian's temple alone was saved from the destruction of the summit of Mt. Arreat, it's timelessness protected by magic. Thus neither the three stone statues nor the fallen bodies of the heroes had been damaged. But they didn't move either, the stillness of death still held on their faces.

"Does anyone else find this freaky?"

"Is very strange."

"Do I really look that fat in that outfit?"

Shampoo and Ryoga looked over at Ukyo with surprise. She glanced over at them with a small shrug and turned back to her body. It was a bit of a strange scene, the three of them standing on the ground, staring at their corpses on the ground.

"So what now?" Ryoga asked.

Shampoo shook her head. "Not know. Maybe this what happen when we die."

"I always thought there'd be a bit more… well…" Ryoga paused looking for the words. Shampoo and Ukyo looked at him.

"Fluffy white angels on puffy white clouds?" Ukyo tried.

"Dancing girls with not ending casket of wine?" Shampoo added.

"Food."

Ukyo and Shampoo looked at him. "FOOD?" they cried. Ryoga shrugged.

"You mean to tell me," Ukyo yelled, "that over all the years of your life, you came to the conclusion that the afterlife would welcome you with food?"

Ryoga nodded. "Sure." The girls continued to stare at him. "Hey, I spent a lot of times lost in the woods without food!"

Shampoo sighed and looked up at the sky. "Look like it going to rain."

Ryoga's face crumpled. "No way, there is NO way they're going to hold funeral services for a pig." He walked over to his body, quickly trying to use his body as an umbrella by floating above it.

"Ryoga," Ukyo started, trying to pull him away. "You're ethereal… the water is going to pass right through you anyway."

"Lay off," Ryoga said, shaking her ghostly hand from his. She pulled at him and he pulled back, suddenly floating into his body. There was a flash of light and suddenly Ryoga the ghost was gone while the Ryoga on the floor blinked in surprise.

"What the hell," he said standing up. He looked down and examined his body. "Hey! Look at that!" he cried out. "Hey… where'd you guys go?"

Shampoo and Ukyo hadn't left. They were caught between outright joy that Ryoga was alive again and total rage that by standing up, he had caused their bodies to drop into the mud. They finally reached the same decision and floated towards their own bodies, trying to repeat what Ryoga had done.

A second later, a mud covered pair of women stood up behind him. They cracked their knuckles and began to pummel him into the ground, yelling at him for manhandling their corpses.

Somewhere between the screaming and the hitting, it started to rain. And as soon as they took a moment to catch their breath, the trio noticed something very strange.

* * *

What had happened as the WorldStone exploded would be passed down from generation to generation as a legend. The way the sky had filled with light and vanquished the demons in an instant. The sense of calm that had filtered across the world as the fighting stopped. It was the turning point for the planet, a moment that people would dream about in the future and wish they could have been a part of.

But Ranma never saw any of it. He was on the ground, clutching the lifeless form of Akane as it happened. His eyes were clamped shut, knowing the moment he tried to open them, he'd lose it.

There was a pain within him, something he knew that potions alone wouldn't fix. It was a deep wound and one he knew would never go away. He shifted slightly, crushing her body to his chest.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. "I'm sorry about everything. I'm sorry I always called you names. I'm sorry we always fought. I'm sorry I couldn't… save you now. And I'm sorry… sorry I never told you… after all the fighting, the traveling… when I thought you were that doll… when I thought you liked Shinnosuke and not me…"

He trailed over and waited for a minute. "After all that, it took me until now to realize that I was scared of losing you too. Because… because…"

"Because of what?"

Ranma's eyes shot open and he slowly uncurled himself, looking down in the blinking eyes of Akane.

"A…Akane?"

She smiled. "Ranma."

"But… but…"

"I don't know," she said answering his question. "I was just there, watching you and I reached out… and here I am."

He waited a moment longer before crushing her again, no longer in the painful embrace of loss but in something much, much more joyous. She laughed a bit in his embrace and he let her go.

She smiled up at him. "Ranma no baka," she teased. "Are you trying to suffocate me?"

He could only smile back before his face took on a more serious look. She caught the change in his demeanor and mimicked it. Akane had heard it all, all that he had said to her when she was lying there dead. It looked like it had hurt him so much.

His black ponytail came tumbling off his shoulder, landing on her arm as his head tipped downward. Akane's eyes fluttered closed as she felt her heart start to speed up and the color rush to her cheeks. 

They missed the rebirth of the world, but they'd have another story to pass down to their descendents. It was the story about how two people finally overcame their fears and arguing and made a world-changing move themselves. A perfect little moment, perfect until…

The cold water hit them both at the same time, causing them to turn in the direction of the attack.

"What the hell!" Ranma called out and then stopped short.

"Hey, lovebirds," Ukyo said as Ryoga dropped the bucket. "Good to see you made it out in one piece."

"Ukyo? Ryoga?" Akane said standing up with a smile. "Shampoo?"

"Is me," she said with a nod. "No understand how but…"

"You were floating near your body, touched it and came back to life," Akane filled in.

"Yeah," Ukyo said with surprise. "Exactly like that. What the hell happened?"

"I think Ranma's the only one who can tell us that," Genma said, pushing his way out of the brush.

"Pop!" Ranma yelled happily. "They said you were dead!"

"Well I was but then I was floating…"

"Know story already," Shampoo said with a wave of her hand.

"Well, all right then," Genma replied, somewhat disappointed. "After I climbed down the tree, I heard you all talking."

"What were you doing in a tree?" Ukyo asked, realizing his story wasn't exactly the same.

Genma paused. "All I remember was hitting the wall after that demon died, your mother was talking to me," he said nodding to Ranma," telling me I had to go someplace safe… and then I was at the tree." The group looked at him perplexed. "Well it's not as crazy as it sounds. You were all dead after all and now you're smiling like morons again."

"It's not crazy," Ranma said. "I saw mom and Akane's mom. They said they were going to destroy the WorldStone because it had been tainted."

"Destroy the WorldStone?" Ryoga cried.

"Hmmm," Genma added, putting a hand to his chin. "But if it was tainted, it might have corrupted the barrier between here and Hell. Destroying it would be one answer but the results…"

"Well, I think we are the result," Ukyo said. "And while I love the whole resurrection bit, does this mean that all the demons got resurrected too?"

There was a bit of silence. No one had tried to keep track of the number of demons that had fallen by their hands. But the thought of them all coming back to life and probably remembering who had done them in… that didn't sit well with them.

"What if we weren't the only ones to come back to life?" Ryoga said suddenly. If it meant that small chance that his parents, his friends…

They were rooted in place. The ramifications of what had happened were almost too much to understand. To be given a second chance to see all their friends who had died over the past few months… it was almost worth facing the never-ending horde. 

"Wait a minute," Ranma suddenly said. "Ryoga… what did you hit me with?"

"What?"

"Before, when you walked in when…" Ranma trailed off, blushing slightly. Genma raised an eyebrow.

"That's right!" Ukyo cried. "With the whole reunion thing… Ranma, we hit you with cold water!"

Genma blinked and ran up to his son, placing two hands on his chest. Ranma quickly batted him away but Genma's mind had already made the calculations. He reached down and picked up a handful of water from a puddle. He threw it on Ranma a couple of times before he did it to himself.

"We're not changing! We're NOT CHANGING!" Genma cried happily.

"The curse must have been reversed too!" Ranma said returning the hug his father was engulfing him in. 

"It's like the entire world reset," Akane said happily. "Maybe Tristram…"

"It's a possibility, anything is a possibility," Ranma smiled looking at her.

"That means that scroll is back in place," Genma said. "This time we can make the right wish and…"

"NO!" the rest of the group screamed, realizing that Genma was actually considering returning to the source of all their curses.

"Ah… if all your curses were broken," Ukyo started, turning to Shampoo. The purple-haired girl looked at her for a moment before realization hit her along with the rest of the group.

Whatever was waiting for them out there, the group wasn't going to wait to find out anymore.

* * *

Kasumi stood next to Akari as the other girl desperately tried to regain order. The events following the explosion of Mt. Arreat had taken them all by surprise. All the injured had suddenly been healed. And if that wasn't enough to cause chaos, a whole group of Barbarians came stumbling into town from the graveyard.

No one knew what was going on but somehow, joy was overpowering confusion as old friends reunited. Unfortunately, after about an hour or so of this, Harrogarth's streets were completely flooded with people.

"Please, we need some of you to move outside!" Akari called again but to no avail. They were just milling about, marveling at the completely restored town.

"Please go outside," Kasumi tried but her voice was softer than Akari's.

"Let me try."

Kasumi and Akari looked over with a bit of confusion as the man stepped up next to them. There was a flash of light and a huge Fire Golem appeared. People backed off as the monster surveyed the area.

"Now," the caster said. "This half of the town, go outside," he continued, motioning outside.

"He means that way, folks," Akari said, moving Mousse's arms to right direction.

Mousse sighed. Apparently, his theory that his bad sight was a curse was completely unfounded. Well, guess you can't get everything in the world. He was just glad he had his mind back to himself.

"Do you have any idea what happened?" Akari asked him as people started to move.

Mousse shook his head. "I just remember a flash of bright light and then everything was very clear."

Akari nodded and looked up at the summit. "I hope everyone's okay up there," she said softly.

"AKARI-CHAN!" 

Akari blinked and looked into the crowd, suddenly catching the sight of her father. With a muffled sob she dove into the crowd, heading towards the chief of the Barbarians. Mousse and Kasumi smiled at each other. Well… Kasumi smiled at him, Mousse was facing a tree when he did it. 

There was a rumbling in the mountain and the huge door in the back of town pushed open. Shampoo stumbled out first, backing up quickly when she saw what was going on. Harrogarth was reborn, in more ways then one. All structural damage was gone and the number of Barbarians could only mean…

Ryoga got out next and his eyes opened at the scene. He caught sight of Akari and a familiar group of Barbarians around her. It was true. Everyone had come back to life! 

While Ryoga was reunited with his parents, the rest of the group was taking in the view from the door. It took a moment but they all saw it. A huge Fire Golem in the middle of town was sort of hard to miss. Sure it could have been any Necromancer's creature but the way this particular one was ambling about like it had no idea where it was supposed to be facing could only mean one thing.

Mousse was attempting to talk with Kasumi when he got hit. The first person to hit him knocked him a few feet backwards. By the time the last one had reached him, Mousse was on the ground, flailing about under a pile of people.

From a small perch against the mountainside, Nodoka sighed at the scene below. She stood up and pulled at her clothes, shifting the sword at her side as the soft light came next to her. She smiled slightly, a bit sad to find herself human again but glad for a second lease on life. Then she started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" the angel said. "I thought you liked being an angel."

"I did," Nodoka said through the laughter. "I just imagined what Genma must have thought when he woke up in a tree!"

The angel frowned a bit and shook her head. "Maybe it's better that you turned back to a human." The two fell into silence as they surveyed the glittering landscape.

"Well, the effects of our actions appear to have been for the better," Nodoka said as the angel settled next to her.

"They remember everything you know. It means… it means that the demons will remember too."

Nodoka nodded. "How far back were things reset?"

The angel paused for a moment, her eyes closed as she made a silent communication with her superiors. "From what we can tell, right before Diablo was able to return to the world."

"Which means, that it will be only a matter of days before he returns," Nodoka said. "But if we can find him when he's still weakened and in the human vessel, we can prevent history from repeating itself."

"Possibly," the angel replied. 

"Then I'll go," Nodoka said, looking up at the cliff of Mt. Arreat.

"What about…"

Nodoka smiled. "I'll see them when I get back," she replied, slowly climbing, moving away from the reunions that were occurring below her.

The angel frowned as Nodoka disappeared. They had had this discussion before but Nodoka didn't remember it. And she didn't remember setting out for Diablo all those months ago, ultimately failing in her pursuit. Everything else about this 'reset' was perfect.

Something did sit well. It wasn't just Nodoka's memory loss. It wasn't the fact that everyone had retained their memories and the skills they had acquired during Diablo's reign of terror. It wasn't the fact that the demons were in the same situation, their hatred only growing in the face of this defeat. 

It was the fact that the WorldStone was already reforming. 

* * *

It took several weeks for the confusion to pass. Most of the Army of Light dispersed after the two days of celebration, slowly heading back to their hometowns. People had already teleported into Harrogarth, bringing news of the world's changes or rather… return to normalcy. 

Nothing prepared the heroes for the reception they received. Apparently it hadn't taken long for story of the WorldStone destruction and Saffron's defeat to make its way across the camp and subsequently around the world. It was nice to be lavished with accolades but after a while, it got to a bit overwhelming.

Akane had to deal with a multitude of people asking her how she cast that final Mastery spell. But she could only shrug and smile over in Kasumi's direction. They offered her a nice position with the council of Sorceresses but Akane got all the reward she could ever want when Nabiki came through a portal with Kuno close in tow.

Ranma for his part was enjoying his new found fame with the Paladins. Having never studied with them, he never made friends with anyone in his class. Now everyone was intent on hearing exactly how he had cast Heaven's Fist. It took a few times before he made it through the story without pausing at the point that Akane died and looking over to make sure she was still there.

Ukyo had gotten a similar proposition as Akane, a chance to teach future assassins. It was a great honor for someone so young. And one that Ukyo would seriously have to consider. It meant great changes for her, including the chance to work next to her mother and possibly work on their relationship.

Shampoo had gotten more than she could have ever wanted. The Amazon's reinstated her into their class. Even if Cologne's insistent (but of course, secretive) campaigning hadn't been enough, the war had changed their outlook on things. It was time that they moved away from isolation and joined the rest of the world so that something like this could never happen again. 

Mousse got what he wanted too… in a way. Shampoo had spent two days yelling at him for what he did. And then she had softened, just a bit, to thank him, before she stopped talking to him for the next three days. He could only sigh and wait for her mood to change again. 

Ryoga was the only one who was not caught up in the celebrations. His reunion with his parents had been joyous but when all the clamor died down, something became crystal clear. This war, no matter the happy outcome, had shown them all how vulnerable to attack. There was already talk among the classes about creating a unified army to prevent this from happening again.

The elder Hibikis had volunteered to be part of the founding members, their battle experience necessary to strengthen a fledgling army. But doing so left Harrogarth's leadership a bit shaky.

So that was how Ryoga ended up agreeing to go through with his marriage with Akari. It was reasoned that with Ryoga at their side, they should be able to route out any remnants of Gosunkugi's betrayal. But whether Ryoga was happy or not was hard to tell. All he could do was stare at the gate of Harrogarth in silent thought.

He wasn't alone. The rest of the group did the same thing, eventually tiring of the constant attention. To think that after all these months of adventuring or wishing for a few moments of peace, none of them could sit still. 

The day of the wedding they had all gathered around the fire for one last sit down together. But even though the mood around them was joyous, most of the adventurers could barely find the energy to smile.

"Come on guys," Akane said finally. "We're acting like this is a funeral! This should be a happy occasion." She smiled over at Ryoga who mustered up a small smile. Her mood quickly changed but Ryoga held up her hands.

"I am happy," he said firmly. "Akari's a great girl and well… this is what I should do."

"Right," Ukyo said with a sigh, "just like I should be heading back with the Assassins to start teaching. So why the hell I am still here?"

"Same reason we all are," Ranma said. They all looked at him. "Come on, I see the way you all stare at that gate like trapped animals. You're like me, you wanna get out."

They feel silent after that, knowing what Ranma had said was true. It was just hard to admit it. How do you give up all the prestige offered to them? It was like they were children wanting to play outside rather than do their schoolwork. There was no justification for giving up the offers that had been presented to them.

"Well," Mousse said standing up, "I guess this is it then. Time to head back home."

Shampoo looked up at him and smiled a bit. "Shampoo still under contract, have to take dumb duck boy home… even if he not know where home is."

"Yeah, it'll be a lot of wandering about again," Mousse said. 

"Hey," Ukyo said suddenly standing up, "you know I think there was a Necromancer town near the Assassin's camp. I can show you where it is."

"Isn't that on the way to Tristram?" Akane asked, looking over at Ranma. "Ranma and I were headed back there after the wedding."

"That's true," Ranma smiled, seeing where this was going. Sure, they could have probably teleported to their respective destinations but the chance for one last adventure before they settled down was all the reason they needed to overlook the obvious.

Ranma was happy until he realized they were missing one important part. The group slowly turned to Ryoga but the young man stood up and waved off their concerns.

"Come on," Ryoga said with a smile, "you know I'd get you all lost anyway."

"Ryoga…" Akane started.

"It's all right," Ryoga continued. "I have a lot of work to do here and Akari's waiting and all…"

"And I'll wait a while longer." The group turned as Akari walked down the steps to join them. 

"Akari…"

"Ryoga," she said with a wave of her hand. "I don't want you to stay if you want to go. You need to follow your heart's desire. My father and I can handle things here for a bit." 

Ryoga paused, looking between her and his friends. In a quick motion, he ran up and gave her a hug, running back to rejoin his friends as they gathered up their belongings to head out again.

Akari sighed as she watched them head towards the gate. The soft crunch of snow next to her made her turn away. She smiled at the small barbarian next to her.

"Wedding's off I guess," Andreas said, motioning towards the retreating forms.

"I guess," Akari said with a shrug. "But all that food and beer… whatever are we going to do with it?" She smiled a bit. "I guess we can't let it go to waste."

Andreas smiled and offered her an arm to lead her back to party. In the background the gates opened and the adventures set out on the road, ready to face whatever was waiting for them.


	33. Secret Cow Level

****

Secret Cow Level

"Where the hell are we now!" Ukyo cried as she stepped forward, promptly landing a foot into a pile of mud. She screamed in rage and turned around to find the source of her anguish.

"I swear," Ryoga said, holding up his hands in his defense, "they said there was a town just through this forest."

"All in favor of never letting Ryoga ask for directions again," Ranma said, catching up with them.

"AYE!" came the cry.

"Thanks a lot," Ryoga muttered. "I don't know what you're all so upset over anyway. Even if we reached the town, its not like we have any money to stay someplace… right Ranma?"

"Hey!" Ranma cried. "He made it sound like done deal. How was I suppose to know that all the stuff was really junk?"

Akane rolled her eyes. "All in favor of never letting Ranma gamble again?"

"AYE!"

Ranma grumbled but promptly fell silent as they reached a small clearing in the forest. "I think we should make camp here tonight," he said dropping to the ground.

"We need think too," Shampoo said, crossing her arms over her chest. "Everyone drop things that no need. We sell in next town."

The group began emptying their packs, dropping a wide variety of items on the ground. Swords, extra arrows and assortment of potions soon littered the area. Ukyo moved through it, looking for anything of value.

"What the hell is this?" she said, holding up something wooden.

"Oh wow!" Akane cried running over and grabbing the wooden leg. "This is from when Tristram was destroyed. We found Nabiki's costume and this was part of it."

"You're telling me that you've been lugging this thing around the entire time?" Ukyo asked. Akane shrugged.

"Let me see that," Mousse said, pushing his way though the group and taking the wooden leg in his hands.

"See be relative term," Shampoo said with a smile. 

Mousse held it close to his eye and let out a happy gasp. "This is it! The legendary key!"

"The legendary what now?" Ranma said waltzing over and snatching it from him. "This is a rotted piece of wood."

"No, no," Mousse said rifling through the stuff on the ground. "It's got runes on the side that'll tell you the story. If we can combine it with the right things, it'll open a portal to an unbelievable land of wealth and prosperity."

"Wealth sounds good right about now," Ryoga said, putting a hand over his rumbling stomach.

Ukyo shot him a look. "Food again? We just ate three hours ago!" But he just shrugged.

"Got it," Mousse said depositing the Horadric box on the ground next to a book of town portals.

"Wait a minute!" Akane said, stepping on the book. "Look, I know you guys are all for the 'walk across the world' approach, but I don't think we should just throw away our last resort."

"We'll buy a new one, Akane," Ranma said pulling her away. "Now, let Mousse do his thing."

Mousse nodded and tossed the leg and the book into the box. The box glowed for a minute before the light faded away. Mousse's brow furrowed and he slowly reached forward and opened the box.

The air crackled behind him and a red portal opened in the sky. The assembled group examined the portal with apprehension. Mousse smiled and pointed at it, managing to distinguish it among the normal blurriness of the world.

Ranma took in a deep breath and dived through first. He landed on soft patch of grass, quickly drawing his sword and looking around. The portal shimmered behind him as the rest of the group stepped through, glancing around nervously.

"It's quiet," Ryoga said.

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious," Ukyo replied.

"Hmmm," Mousse said, squinting his eyes and looking around. "Not exactly what I expected but… it's nice. We could explore a bit and spend the night here, seems safe enough."

"Shampoo no see 'wealth' and 'prosperity' duck boy speak of. All see is rotting fences and cows," she finished pointing to the horizon.

"Ugh!" Akane cried, putting her hand up to her nose. "Do you smell that?"

Ukyo's face cringed. "It's a cross between cooked beef and fertilizer!"

"Sort of like Akane's cooking," Ranma said with a smile.

"BAKA!" she said walloping him on the head.

"Cows come here."

"What was that?" Akane said, turning to Shampoo.

"Cows. Come. Here." The Amazon iterated, pointing at the horizon.

Akane laughed. "Well, yeah this is their pasture. I'm sure they are just coming here to graze…"

"Walking on their hind legs," Ukyo said suddenly, watching the mass approach them.

"Holding something in their fore legs?" Ryoga added.

"Ah!" Mousse answered. "They must be coming this way to give us gold."

"No look like gold," Shampoo stated, shifting uneasily.

"Yeah, it looks like… well… axes actually," Ranma finished.

Mousse started to laugh. "Right, a bunch of cows are walking over hear holding axes. That's almost as ridiculous as that story about…" Mousse suddenly trailed off. Then his laughter stood and his face got a bit grim. He closed his eyes and started to think about the story and the runes and after a few seconds he slowly cracked his eyes open and looked around sheepishly.

"Well… you see…" he started. Then suddenly he started laughing, putting a hand behind his head. "It's a real funny story…"

"MOUSSE!" they all yelled at him.

"Theyrereallyhellbovineandtheyregonnakillus."

Shampoo walked up and grabbed him by the collar. "Say again real slowly."

"Ummm… remember how I told you about the land of wealth and prosperity?" he said, trying to smile.

"Moo. Moo. MOOOO. Moo moo."

"Yes??" Shampoo yelled, trying to over powering the increasing noise.

"MOOOOOO! Moo moo moo moo."

"Remember that fairy tale about the hell bovine and how they protected a land of wealth and prosperity."

Everyone looked at him and then quickly at the horde and then back at him.

"You son of a…" Ryoga started.

Ukyo caught his arm. "Run now. Kill later."

And no one seemed to disagree. They took off running, tearing up grass as they made their way through the green pastures. It was about five minutes later before Ranma finally slid to a stop. 

"What the hell are we doing?" he yelled. "We've faced demons before! We've faced the three brothers of evil! We've saved the world!!! WHY ARE WE RUNNING AWAY?"

Everyone paused and looked at him.

"Ranma's right!" Akane said, pulling out her wand.

"Yeah, we'll kick their asses," Ukyo replied, flexing her hands.

"Bring it on," Ryoga added, pulling out his axe.

"Ah… I really don't think this is a smart idea," Mousse chirped in.

"Mousse no worry," Shampoo said turning to face him. "Just stay still and…"

There was a long pause. Everyone turned to see why Shampoo had trailed off and fell silent as well. Mousse looked at them with surprise and then looked down at his clothes. "What?" he asked. "Is there something on my…"

"Mousse…" Ukyo started. "In that fairy tale… was there, oh say, a king of the Hell Bovine."

Mousse blinked. "Why yes there was."

"Did he cast lightning spells?" Akane asked.

"Yes he…" Mousse paused and slowly turned around. His vision wasn't the best but lightning was easy to pick out. "Oh… my," he said, using the phrase Kasumi had patented.

"Run," Ranma said, making a decision for the group. "Run now."

But it was impossible to get away. From all around they were surrounded by Hell Bovine and the portal was a small red dot in the distance. The warriors frowned and crouched down, preparing to fight when suddenly everything stopped.

The world paused for a few minutes. Neither Hell Bovine nor humans moved or breathed. And then suddenly…

Ranma launched forward with speed he didn't know was possible. He hacked several Hell Bovines to pieces before things resumed their normal speed. 

"What the hell is going on?" Ryoga asked, fighting his way through a pack of them.

"How the hell should I know?" Ranma asked. "MOUSSE!"

"Eh… maybe the laws of nature don't work on this…"

He stopped short, as did the rest of the world. Once again things were frozen in time. But unlike before, things didn't resume at a quickened pace. In fact, when Ranma found himself able to move again, he realized that all his hacking wasn't effecting the Hell Bovines.

Ranma stopped and looked around. Everyone else was still frozen. He walked up slowly to Akane reaching out to touch her face when suddenly everything went black…

* * *

****

CONNECTION LOST

* * *

**__**

Welcome to LoDJapan  
Currently there are 1023 users in 730 games

NoradTBC : Baal run, join Baal12!!  
_AmazonsRULE _: What happen?  
_OkonoQueen _: Stupid lag… connections went down  
_BreakPtTraveler _: Just as well, we were about to get killed.  
_1|\/|G0D _: ANYONE WANT TO TRADE??  
_MalletGirl _: I don't know… a hydra or two should have sliced them down  
_AnythingGoesMaster _: Hydra sucks!  
_MalletGirl _: Ah… like Paladin auras are any better  
_1|\/|G0D _: ME : KING'S SWORD OF HASTE. ANYONE WANT TO TRADE??  
_OkonoQueen_: Not again  
_OkonoQueen_: Can't you two not fight for five seconds?  
_MysterySwan _: Maybe we should stop for tonight.   
_1|\/|G0D _: ME : KING'S SWORD OF HASTE. ANYONE WANT TO TRADE??  
_AnythingGoesMaster _: No way! I want to get through the next level!  
_MalletGirl _: It's the same as before, only in Nightmare things are harder.  
_1|\/|G0D _: ME : KING'S SWORD OF HASTE. ANYONE WANT TO TRADE??  
_AnythingGoesMaster _: But I wanna to get to level 99!!  
_MalletGirl _: It's just a game, you know!  
_1|\/|G0D _: ME : KING'S SWORD OF HASTE. ANYONE WANT TO TRADE??  
_MysterySwan _: I think we've played this for long enough.  
_AmazonsRULE _: Tired of playing? Dumb duck boy get lost for half game!  
MysterySwan : But you left me in the Flayer forest!  
_1|\/|G0D _: ME : KING'S SWORD OF HASTE. ANYONE WANT TO TRADE??  
_BreakPtTraveler _: That was so funny.  
_MysterySwan _: This from the guy that had follow OQ the entire game like a lost little pig.  
_BreakPtTraveler _: THAT'S IT! Set up a game. We're having a duel!  
_1|\/|G0D _: ME : KING'S SWORD OF HASTE. ANYONE WANT TO TRADE??  
_SpatulaGirl_: NO! No dueling, no fighting and NO WE DON'T WANT TO TRADE!   
_SpatualGirl _: I'm going back to my restaurant, anyone who wants dinner can come too.  
_BreakPtTraveler _: I'm there!  
_AnythingGoesMaster _: Me too!  
_MalletGirl _: Men! All they everything about is FOOD! Sigh… see you guys there  
_AmazonsRule _: Sound good. See there soon.  
_MysterySwan _: Wait for me Shampoo!!  
_AmazonsRule _: Stupid duck boy.

* * *

Ranma pulled the card out of the machine and stood up stretching his legs. Looking around he caught sight of the others gathering their stuff and heading to the counter to check out. Nice little place, this new Internet café.

He looked over and rolled his eyes as he saw his father and Mr. Tendo still playing Shoji on the computers. Amazingly, despite being separated by several machines, they were still trying to cheat each other.

"Ranma!" Akane called, waving from the counter. He waved back and started to collect his things when he noticed something stuck under the keyboard. Pulling it out, he examined the little shard with surprise. It looked like metal or maybe a seashell but he couldn't place it.

"YO! Hurry up!" Ryoga yelled.

Pocketing the shard, Ranma ran up to the rest of his friends. They left laughing and trudged down the stairs, through the door and back out into the real world.


	34. Author Acknowledgements and Thanks

****

Author's Acknowledgements and notes…

33 chapters, around 140000 words, 395 pages and 184 reviews later… it's over.

Well, I can't believe I'm finally at this stage of this story. It has been one that puzzled me, forced me to look at things differently and I think really helped me improve in my writing style (not my grammar mind you… I still can't do commas for my life). This started out from playing D2:LOD on Battle.net with characters named after Ranma characters. I started thinking… hey this might make a story. 11 months later, here I am.

I wonder what a lot of people expected out this story. I don't know what even I expected from it. And reaching the conclusion, I can't say I know even now. I've had the ending in my head for a while, wondering whether it would work or not. I know I could have done some completely twisted ending, tragic or mysterious but… I don't know. Sometimes, I just like a happy somewhat predictable ending for things. So shoot me.

I want to say thanks to a bunch of folks so hang on for a second while I list names. First of all, many thanks to Another Duck who turned being a contest winner into being an excellent beta reader. He got me moving when I stalled for a month, his helpful and oftentimes-humorous comments did wonders for this story. Even though he says I say it too much, I thank him very much for his help.

To the reviews that have been putting little notes up even if they've done it many times before… thank you. You made me want to write another chapter to see what you would say. That's you Jessi-chan, Lord Phantom, Starx, Vixen, Lord Specter, Ryoshu, may, ariel stormcloud, makotojs, Gohan, me, and Lian Leviathan.

To the rest who dropped a note, good or bad, thank you. It was great hearing what worked and didn't. So thank you Raneko, Aquaris, jmj, D-Chan, neko-chama, ChaoticCat, h, Zak, turtle-07, Dan Inverse, a little birdie, ikillyoupig, Makoto, loving you, C. Rose, Otaku King, Uri-Mistress, GaleDrake, Althena Journeymen, Ashura17, Cho Hakkai, reckless optimist, Sayaka, KurroNeko-Yasha, Commander Galos, Igvy, Mia , NekoRyuu, Uri-Mistress, Saliere, Inei Tenshi, Saggit (for his O Rare Ben Jonson award), Flameraven, MegaManX, Norad III the MSTing Battlecruiser, Sweetasians, Thomas S, Wlah, The Charlatan, Nisaa, Kaori, libhranan, Blood Of Odin, Milana Pashmina, Emperor Zhang, TimeLine, Sojourn, CCWiskers, Adyen, SSJ4-Bejita, and konton.

To everyone else who took the time to read this: **THANK YOU!! **I might not know who you are but the thought that I made someone happy by letting them read this, is great. Leave a note now if you want or remain one of the silent masses, either way I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Someone mentioned getting a copy of the entire story… it exists in a word document form of 1 MB. Let me know if you want it and we'll try to figure something out.

Thanks again, long live Ranma 1/2 and Happy READING!!


End file.
